HIV drug, Lamivudine, may improve cognitive function for those with Down’s Syndrome

According to a study by scientists from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and the IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, the drug lamivudine, which is used to treat HIV, could improve cognitive functions in those living with Down’s syndrome. Tests so far have been conducted on animals. The results were published in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. 

Down’s syndrome is when someone is born with an extra chromosome. They usually get an extra chromosome by chance, because of a change in the sperm or egg before birth. People who have Down’s syndrome will have some level of learning disability. This means they’ll have a range of abilities. Some people will be more independent and do things like get a job. Other people might need more regular care.

Many people with Down’s syndrome undergo cognitive stimulation therapy, but there are currently no biomedical treatments for patients. Currently, experts are working with retrotransposons - these are DNA segments that change their location in the genome, creating RNA copies of themselves. Retrotransposons can be introduced into certain areas of the genome and located in areas that stimulate genes associated with the condition.

Retrotransposons quickly replicate inside cells, which makes them look like the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). According to experts, HIV and retrotransposons need the same molecule to copy themselves: the inverse transcriptase enzyme. The drug lamivudine belongs to the category of drugs that block reverse transcriptase, this means it has the potential to help people with Down’s syndrome.

During the animal testing process, experts were able to confirm this theory. Mice who received lamivudine for four months had improved cognitive functions, including memory and motor activity. Researchers suggest that these advantages of lamivudine may be related to its effect on one or more variants of the APP gene.

Additional clinical trials will be conducted to confirm whether the effect is present in humans. Scientists also plan to test its effectiveness against Alzheimer's disease.

Previous studies have shown that ritonavir, another HIV drug, can help people with neurological disorders.