An amylin analog used as a challenge test for Alzheimer's disease

Introduction: Preclinical studies demonstrate the potential of amylin in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We aimed to lay the foundation for repurposing the amylin analog and a diabetes drug, pramlintide, for AD in humans.

Methods: We administered a single subcutaneous injection of 60 μg of pramlintide to nondiabetic subjects under fasting conditions.

Results: None of the participants developed hypoglycemia after the injection of pramlintide. The pramlintide challenge induced a significant surge of amyloid-β peptide and a decrease in total tau in the plasma of AD subjects but not in control participants. The pramlintide injection provoked an increase in interleukin 1 receptor antagonist and a decrease in retinol-binding protein 4, which separates AD subjects from control subjects.

Discussion: Pramlintide use appeared to be safe in the absence of diabetes. The biomarker changes as a result of the pramlintide challenge, which distinguished AD from control subjects and mild cognitive impairment.