Researchers at UC San Francisco have identified two cancer drugs, letrozole and irinotecan, as potential Alzheimer's treatments. These drugs, already FDA-approved for cancer, showed promise in reversing Alzheimer's symptoms in mice by impacting gene expression. The study, published in Cell, suggests a potential for repurposing existing medications to combat Alzheimer's, offering a faster and cheaper path to clinical trials than developing new drugs from scratch. While effective in mice, the researchers acknowledge the need for clinical trials in humans to assess safety and efficacy, given potential side effects.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.