Emerging therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease: an avenue of hope.
Emerging therapies for Alzheimer's disease offer hope to patients and their caregivers. Future treatments will probably include combination approaches with agents that modify amyloid processing, deposition, and clearance. One example, the AD vaccine, reduced amyloid burden and changed behavior in animal models of AD, but the human trial was halted when several subjects developed brain inflammation. Anti-inflammatory agents have epidemiologic support, but clinical trials have been disappointing, possibly related to inadequate study with anti-inflammatory agents that modify amyloid processing. Agents that target known cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and insulin resistance, have epidemiologic, preclinical, and clinical evidence to warrant further investigation. Heavy metal chelators, antioxidants, neurotrophic factors, glutaminergic modulators, and agents that modify hyperphosphorylation of Tau are other approaches in research and development.
Samuels
Steven C
SC
Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA. steven.samuels@med.va.gov
Grossman
Hillel
H
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014612:Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000975:Antioxidants; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D002614:Chelating Agents; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D014612:Vaccines; D016202:N-Methylaspartate