Overview

• A UC Irvine team showed that combining nicotinamide with epigallocatechin gallate reinstates GTP levels in aged neurons and triggers autophagy to remove amyloid-beta aggregates.
• Revived GTP supply activates key GTPases Rab7 and Arl8b, enhancing cellular trafficking and energy metabolism in cultured brain cells.
• The treatment reduced oxidative stress markers and improved neuron survival after just 16–24 hours in lab-grown Alzheimer’s model neurons.
• Previous clinical trials found that oral nicotinamide is inactivated in the bloodstream, highlighting the need for optimized delivery methods.
• Researchers are now moving to in vivo animal studies to validate efficacy and refine strategies for getting the compounds into the brain.