Copper Drug Restores Memory and Clears Toxic Alzheimer’s Proteins
June 15th, 2026Via: Monash University:
Monash University researchers have found in laboratory experiments that a drug which delivers copper to the brain significantly reduces toxic Alzheimer’s proteins and improves long-term spatial memory.
The study, published today in the journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience, shows the compound Cu(ATSM) repairs a vital waste-clearing pump at the blood-brain barrier – unlocking a potential new avenue of therapeutics targeting neurovascular dysfunction, caused by one of the world’s leading causes of death.
Alzheimer’s is driven by the buildup of toxic proteins called amyloid-beta. Normally, the brain flushes these out into the bloodstream through the blood-brain barrier. In Alzheimer’s, the pumps doing the heavy lifting, called P-glycoprotein (P-gp), weaken significantly, clogging the drain and trapping the toxic proteins in the brain.
Lead author Dr Jae Pyun, from the Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics theme at Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS), whose work on the study marked the final part of his PhD project, said the treatment successfully engages the brain’s blood vessels to lower toxic protein levels, which results in behavioural benefits.
“This is the first study to show that Cu(ATSM) can increase the abundance of P-gp clearance pumps in an Alzheimer’s model, by 24.1 per cent, effectively linking the repair of the blood-brain barrier to a reduction in toxic proteins and improved cognitive function,” Dr Pyun said.
“By improving the pumps, the brain can finally clear out the trapped waste. Over 56 days, the treatment reduced toxic amyloid-beta by 42 per cent and improved spatial learning by nearly 44 per cent.”
