Targretin Improves Cognitive and Biological Markers in a Patient with Alzheimer’s Disease

Article type: Short Communication

Authors: Pierrot, Nathalie^{a; b} | Lhommel, Renaud^{a; b; d} | Quenon, Lisa^{a; b} | Hanseeuw, Bernard^{a; c} | Dricot, Laurence^{a; b} | Sindic, Christian^{a; b} | Maloteaux, Jean-Marie^{a; b; c} | Octavea, Jean-Noël^{a; b} | Ivanoiu, Adrian^{a; b; c; *}

Affiliations: [a] Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium | [b] Institute of Neuroscience, Brussels, Belgium | [c] Cliniques universitaires Saint Luc, Neurology department, Brussels, Belgium | [d] Cliniques universitaires Saint Luc, Nuclear Medicine department, Brussels, Belgium

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Adrian Ivanoiu, MD, PhD, Saint Luc University Hospital/Neurology Department, Av. Hippocrate, 10, Brussels 1200, Belgium. Tel.: +32 2 764 21 46; Fax: +32 2 764 90 46; E-mail: adrian.ivanoiu@uclouvain.be

Abstract: We present the effects of Targretin® (bexarotene) on cognition and biomarkers in a patient with mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Targretin® is a Retinoic X Receptor (RXR) agonist shown to improve synaptic and cognitive functions in animal models of AD by increasing neuronal cholesterol efflux. After 6 months of treatment with Targretin® 300 mg/day, memory improved by about 40% and the tau protein in the cerebrospinal fluid decreased by about 20% . No significant side effects were noticed. This observation in a single patient indicates that Targretin® may improve memory performance and biological markers at an early stage of AD.

Keywords: Amyloid-β and tau markers, cholesterol, cognition, Targretin/bexarotene

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-150405

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 49, no. 2, pp. 271-276, 2016