Researchers have identified sodium selenate as a potential new treatment for behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), a severe form of dementia that affects individuals under 60 years old. In a Phase 1 trial conducted by Monash University and the Royal Melbourne Hospital, sodium selenate showed promise in stabilizing behavioral issues and slowing brain shrinkage in patients over 12 months. BVFTD, which can begin as early as age 35, leads to significant personality changes and behavioral disturbances, with a typical survival of only 5-7 years post-diagnosis.
The trial revealed that sodium selenate is safe and well-tolerated, with most participants not experiencing worsening cognitive or behavioral symptoms, and exhibiting reduced rates of brain atrophy. The drug targets the tau protein, which accumulates in approximately half of bvFTD cases, damaging neurons in the brain. Previous studies have indicated that sodium selenate can decrease neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s patients.
The findings, published in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions, have prompted the research team to initiate larger studies across Australia and New Zealand to further evaluate the drug’s effectiveness for bvFTD patients.
