A Phase 2 trial demonstrates that gold nanocrystals effectively alleviate brain impairments in individuals with Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis (MS)

The results of phase two clinical studies showed that giving people with Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis (MS) a daily dose of gold nanocrystals dissolved in water led to big improvements. The medication targets an energy imbalance that occurs in the brain, and prior research on animals and humans has shown its potential to mitigate neurological deterioration and perhaps induce partial recovery in these individuals.

“We have a measured sense of hope that we can potentially prevent or even reverse certain neurological impairments using this approach,” stated Dr. Peter Sguigna, an assistant professor of neurology and a researcher at the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute at the University of Texas at Southwestern.

If this idea were to be actualized, it may have the capacity to significantly impact the lives of many individuals suffering from neurodegeneration.

According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, over one million individuals in the United States are afflicted with Parkinson’s disease, making it the second most prevalent neurological disorder behind Alzheimer’s. The National MS Society has updated its estimates of the disease’s prevalence based on fresh data, revealing that almost one million US residents are now affected by MS.

Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis (MS) are characterized by an accelerated and more pronounced deterioration in brain energy metabolism. An uninterrupted supply of the body’s energy molecule, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), is essential for maintaining a healthy brain. As individuals get older, cellular functions decelerate, resulting in a reduced availability of ATP for brain use. Moreover, in the cases of Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis, this decline occurs at an even faster rate.

One way to measure brain energy metabolism is to look at the ratio of the chemical nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide’s reduced and oxidized forms, which are written as NADH and NAD+. Both of them are essential constituents of the Krebs cycle, a complex biological process that produces ATP, the energy currency of the cell.

Scientists have found that changing the balance between NAD+ and NADH might be a key part of making the symptoms of neurodegenerative disorders worse. They have studied this using cell models, animals, and human patients. The gold nanocrystals serve as a catalyst to enhance energy metabolism and elevate the NAD+/NADH ratio.

Sguigna and his colleagues collaborated with Clene Nanomedicine, a biopharmaceutical business, in the development of an orally delivered therapy using gold nanoparticles. The experimental therapy used in the clinical studies was designated as CNM-Au8.

A total of twenty-four individuals were enrolled, with eleven participants diagnosed with relapse MS assigned to the REPAIR-MS phase two study and thirteen participants diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease assigned to the REPAIR-PD phase two trial. After the first scans, which checked their NAD+/NADH ratios and other signs of brain energy metabolism, they gave them CNM-Au8 every day for 12 weeks.

Overall, at the conclusion of the study, the patients had a 10.4 percent average rise in their NAD+/NADH ratios, indicating that the therapy was achieving the desired outcome. ATP levels were also restored to their usual state. The individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease also had enhancements in some motor symptoms linked to the condition, indicating that CNM-Au8 may have a tangible effect on their overall well-being.

Crucially, none of the individuals had any significant negative consequences.

Sguigna characterized the findings as promising, although emphasized the need for more investigations. The ongoing REPAIR-MS experiment aims to enroll more participants in order to replicate the results in individuals suffering from the progressive variant of multiple sclerosis.

Consuming a daily mixture containing real gold may seem like a practice limited to ancient rulers or peculiar nobles. However, if ongoing experiments continue to provide positive results, there is a genuine possibility that such therapies may be used in clinical settings in the near future.