Health
Experimental Alzheimer’s drug could reduce alcohol withdrawal damage, researchers say
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
An investigational dementia drug may also ease alcohol withdrawal by calming the brain inflammation linked to addiction and relapse.
That’s according to researchers at the University of Kentucky, who studied an experimental medication called MW150 that targets a brain inflammation pathway known as p38α MAPK.
The drug, which has not yet been approved, is designed to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
ALCOHOL DEATHS HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLED IN RECENT YEARS, ESPECIALLY AMONG WOMEN
Scientists believe neuroinflammation may contribute to relapse risk and long-term neurological damage in people with alcohol use disorder.
In laboratory and animal-model experiments, MW150 was found to reduce certain inflammatory markers during alcohol withdrawal.
An investigational dementia drug may also ease alcohol withdrawal by calming the brain inflammation linked to addiction and relapse. (iStock)
The work, which was published in the journal Alcohol, came from the University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, led by neuroinflammation researcher Linda Van Eldik.
ALCOHOL POSES THESE 8 RISKS TO OLDER ADULTS, EXPERTS WARN
Caleb Bailey, Ph.D., co-author of the study and a researcher in Van Eldik’s lab, said the study provides “biological plausibility” that MW150 could mitigate neuroinflammation arising from alcohol withdrawal.
Alcohol use disorder is difficult to treat because of high relapse rates, especially during withdrawal, according to Bailey.
Alcohol use disorder is difficult to treat because of high relapse rates, especially during withdrawal, according to the researchers. (iStock)
“If follow-up experiments reveal similar anti-inflammatory effects of MW150 in animal models of alcohol use disorder, it would provide a strong rationale for development of MW150 as a treatment for those struggling with chronic alcohol relapse due to alcohol withdrawal,” he told Fox News Digital.
‘I”M A NEUROSURGEON — HERE’S WHAT ALCOHOL DOES TO THE BODY’
Along with a related drug called Neflamapimod, MW150 is already being investigated in clinical trials as a potential therapy for dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions, the researchers noted.
“That gives this work added significance,” Bailey said. “Because these compounds are already further along in development for other neurological diseases, it raises the possibility that they could someday be repurposed more efficiently for alcohol-related conditions if future studies continue to show promise.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
There were some important caveats to the research, including that it was conducted in cell culture and animal models.
“Because they are ‘dish’-based models, they provide limited information regarding what happens in the full organism – or even the full brain for that matter,” Bailey said.
MW150, along with a related drug called Neflamapimod, is already being investigated in clinical trials as a potential therapy for dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions. (iStock)
“A series of follow-up studies in living animals is required to more fully understand how future MW150 treatment in alcohol use and withdrawal affects systemic health and/or alcohol consumption.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
Dr. Amy Swift, deputy chief medical officer at Silver Hill Hospital in Connecticut, was not involved in the study but shared her reactions to the findings.
“Although detoxification using tapering doses of medication has long been considered the evidence-based first step in treating alcohol use disorder, its impact on the long-term trajectory of a person’s drinking behavior has been limited,” she told Fox News Digital.
“Minimizing alcohol consumption … is the best strategy for staying healthy.”
“Put simply, detoxification does not treat alcohol use disorder itself; rather, it prevents the potentially fatal complications of alcohol withdrawal.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Adding supportive medications — especially those intended to improve overall brain health — could address an important gap in early treatment of detoxification, according to Swift.
“It is worthwhile to investigate whether reducing neuroinflammation could improve a patient’s ability to engage in treatment earlier in recovery and, in turn, meaningfully alter their long-term relationship with alcohol,” an expert said. (iStock)
“Given the profound inflammatory effects alcohol has across multiple organ systems, it is worthwhile to investigate whether reducing neuroinflammation could improve a patient’s ability to engage in treatment earlier in recovery and, in turn, meaningfully alter their long-term relationship with alcohol,” she added.
Bailey emphasized that no amount of alcohol consumption is good from a physical health standpoint.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
“We don’t currently have robust pharmacological treatments to mitigate damage caused by chronic alcohol consumption,” he said. “Minimizing alcohol consumption, therefore, is the best strategy for staying healthy.”
As the MW150 compound continues to be studied for dementia patients, Bailey saud, “information regarding the interaction between these drugs and alcohol — for better or for worse — will be important for patient outcomes.”
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Eliminating sugar from your diet may seem like the key to healthy eating, but research suggests it could have unintended effects on digestive health.
A study presented at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, suggests that a total lack of sucrose, or table sugar, may harm gut health and disrupt the body’s natural metabolism.
To explore how the total absence of dietary sugar impacts the body, researchers at the Dasman Diabetes Institute in Kuwait City conducted a 16-week study on two groups of mice. Both groups were placed on a low-fat diet, but with one critical difference.
COMMON CHEMICALS FROM FOOD ADDITIVES TO PESTICIDES MAY BE WRECKING YOUR GUT HEALTH, STUDY SAYS
One group consumed a low-fat diet that included a standard amount of sucrose, while the other group ate a low-fat diet that was completely sugar-free, according to the study’s press release.
Throughout the trial, the scientists monitored a wide variety of physiological factors, including the animals’ weight, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, hormone levels, internal inflammation and the specific composition of their gut bacteria.
A total lack of dietary sugar can cause imbalances in the gut bacteria and lead to signs of fatty liver disease, even without any weight gain, researchers said. (iStock)
The study outcome suggested that completely removing sugar caused several unexpected health problems.
“Completely removing sucrose from a low-fat diet may unexpectedly disrupt gut health and promote inflammation and metabolic dysfunction,” Rasheed Ahmad, principal scientist and head of the Immunology & Microbiology Department at the Dasman Diabetes Institute, said in the release.
AMERICANS’ HIGH SUGAR CONSUMPTION PROMPTS URGENT WARNING FROM HEALTH LEADERS
Even though the mice on the sugar-free diet did not gain any extra weight compared to the control group, their internal health indicators deteriorated.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
The animals that lacked sucrose developed an imbalance in their gut microbes and increased inflammation within the intestines and liver.
They also showed signs of poor glucose regulation, insulin resistance and cellular changes associated with fatty liver disease, according to the research.
Future dietary guidelines may shift away from strict, absolute sugar bans and instead focus on overall gut health through balanced nutrition. (iStock)
“The findings suggest that complete removal of sucrose from a low-fat diet may negatively affect gut microbiota and metabolic health,” Ahmad concluded.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
While the risks of high-sugar diets are well-established, the researchers noted that little attention has been given to the effects of completely eliminating sugar from low-fat meals.
Scientists say these new findings highlight that dietary carbohydrates play a valuable role in supporting balance between the immune system and the gut microbiome.
Completely cutting sucrose from a low-fat diet can unexpectedly trigger gut inflammation and disrupt the metabolism, experts say. (iStock)
Because this research was conducted on mice over a relatively short 16-week period, further clinical trials are necessary to determine whether a completely sugar-free diet causes the same gut and liver inflammation in humans.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
Additionally, the study focused specifically on removing sucrose from low-fat meals, meaning the results might not apply to people eliminating sugar while following higher-fat or ketogenic eating plans, the researchers noted.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The team believes that future dietary guidelines may shift away from strict, absolute sugar restrictions and instead place a greater emphasis on maintaining a diverse, healthy population of gut bacteria through balanced nutrition.
“In the long term, these findings could help improve strategies for preventing and managing metabolic disorders, fatty liver disease and chronic inflammatory conditions,” Ahmad said.
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A cure for cancer could be on the horizon in the next decade, according to experts.
During the WSJ Leadership Institute CEO Summit in London last week, Johnson & Johnson Chairman and CEO Joaquin Duato reflected on the pharmaceutical company’s projections on the future of cancer treatment.
In the next 10 years, the goal is to “try to eliminate cancer,” Duato shared.
NEW CANCER VACCINE DELIVERS STUNNING RESULT AGAINST ONE OF THE DEADLIEST SKIN CANCERS
“That’s a high goal, and we are already making significant progress in certain cancers,” he said.
Duato used multiple myeloma as an example, noting that the life expectancy is currently 10 years, when it was previously “only single years.”
Joaquin Duato, chairman and CEO of Johnson and Johnson, speaks at the Punchbowl News Conference at Union Station on March 10, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
“We have treatments now that utilize your own immune system to attack the cancer,” he said at the summit. “For patients who were already going into hospice, so they didn’t have any other alternative, they are [at] more than five years, with a single administration, in remission. That [is] spectacular.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“When patients see that, they cannot believe that because they have been coming to the hospital every week [for] a decade, having multiple therapies.”
The goal is to “try to eliminate cancer” in the next 10 years, the pharmaceutical executive said. (iStock)
According to Duato, Johnson & Johnson is working to understand the biology of cancer growth and to formulate new technologies to address it.
“It’s realistic to believe that we are going to cure certain cancers, and some others we’re going to turn into chronic diseases,” he predicted.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“Cancer is an important thing – I cannot think about anybody who has not been touched by cancer,” he went on. “But there are many other opportunities for us to actually advance science, to address very important social problems.”
Duato called out dementia as another “important problem” in need of a solution.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
He predicted that life expectancy, which has risen steadily over the past century, will continue to increase as longevity technologies and solutions advance, improving quality of life along the way.
Duato commented that J&J has been optimistic about the role artificial intelligence will play in the future of healthcare, calling it a “force multiplier.”
Biomarkers and AI can help with the earlier diagnosis of cancer, as well as a more advanced and personalized approach to surgery, a doctor noted. (iStock)
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel agreed with Duato’s outlook on the future of cancer care, noting that certain cancers will turn into chronic diseases while others will find outright cures.
“Advances [will be] based on the use of AI to help guide targeted treatments with expanding knowledge of cancer mutations and how to target them,” he predicted, speaking to Fox News Digital.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Siegel added that biomarkers and AI can help with earlier diagnoses, as well as a more advanced and personalized approach to surgery.
J&J recently acquired Firefly Bio, a biotech firm that produces drugs that enter cancer cells to “target certain proteins that contain difficult to treat gene mutations,” the doctor added.
-
Technology3 minutes agoMidjourney goes from generating cat images to full-body ultrasound scans
-
World10 minutes agoColombian military neutralizes five terrorists accused in bus bombing that killed 20, injured 45 civilians
-
Politics13 minutes agoHegseth announces 6-month review of American forces in Europe, blasts NATO allies for putting troops ‘at risk’
-
Health18 minutes agoZero sugar, more problems? Study reveals surprising gut health effects
-
Sports25 minutes agoDeion Sanders wanted more from his son, Shedeur Sanders, but backs development plan after Myles Garrett trade
-
Technology28 minutes agoUK to ban TikTok, YouTube, other social media apps for children under 16, Starmer says
-
Business33 minutes agoCommentary: A porn firm that a judge called a ‘copyright troll’ now has Meta in its sights — and it could win
-
Entertainment40 minutes agoLas Culturistas Culture Awards: 6 best moments from the show
