Technologies

Drs. Powers and Glass have developed aza-peptide epoxide caspase inhibitors that can be used for the treatment and/or prevention of nerve degeneration in mammals. Such aza-peptide epoxide compositions can treat or prevent diseases, including but not limited to, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, neuropathies, Huntington's disease, dentatorubropallidomysian atrophy, spinocerebellar atrophies, spinal bulbar muscular atrophy, diabetes, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other motor neuron diseases.

Additionally, the methods can be used in combination with calpain inhibitors to treat disease or pathological conditions related to the activity of caspases and calpain associated with a specific disease or condition. Such treatable conditions include those listed above, as well as stroke, nerve degeneration associated with diabetes, and nerve degeneration secondary to primary demyelinating disorders.