US teen finds drugs linked to Alzheimer’s research
A Connecticut high school student named Leon Wang has discovered that two FDA-approved drugs, nintedanib and pirfenidone, may help reduce Alzheimer's-related damage in brain cells. Wang, a 17-year-old from King School in Stamford, investigated a biological pathway associated with the APOE4 gene variant, which is a strong genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.
Using laboratory-grown brain cell models, Wang discovered that excessive activity in a signaling pathway involving TGFβ (transforming growth factor beta) could damage these cells. This pathway also showed increased activity in individuals with the APOE4 gene variant. Wang then tested existing drugs that target the TGFβ pathway and found that both nintedanib and pirfenidone could reduce signs of cellular damage caused by overactive TGFβ activity in the cell models.
It's important to note that this discovery is still in the early stages of research, and these drugs have not yet been proven to treat or prevent Alzheimer's disease in humans. Wang's finding earned him eighth place and a $60,000 award in the 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search, a prestigious science competition for high school students. Further laboratory studies and clinical trials would be necessary to determine if either drug is safe and effective for treating Alzheimer's disease in patients.
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