Can we enhance cognitive function or neuronal health using IRAP-inhibitors?
Cognitive impairment is a broad term that can result from various factors, including neurodegenerative diseases, substance abuse, or traumatic brain injury. Dysfunction of neuronal cells in the brain commonly underlies cognitive impairment, and there is a need for more novel treatments to address this global burden.
One such novel treatment is the use of insulin-regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP) inhibitors, which have previously been associated with pro-cognitive effects, such as improved learning and memory. The mechanism of action remains unknown, but IRAP is an enzyme involved in the physiological response to short-acting native angiotensin IV, which inhibits IRAP. This inhibition is believed to have beneficial effects on cognition by increasing glucose uptake, or prolonging the half-life of other brain peptides that are associated with cognitive improvement.
In collaboration with the chemists at the Beijer Laboratory of Drug Research, this project aims to screen and test various IRAP inhibitors on cellular functions associated with cognitive function, neurorestoration or protection.
The overall goal is to understand the role of IRAP in the brain and to further develop inhibitors that could potentially serve as a novel treatment for various forms of cognitive impairment.
Erik Nylander is a licensed pharmacist and lecturer at the Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences of Uppsala University where he also pursues research on neuropharmacology and biological addiction. Earlier, he did his postdoc at SciLifeLab in Stockholm. Since 2024, he is a Beijer researcher at the Beijer Laboratory for Pharmaceutical Research.