New therapeutic approaches in Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects a large proportion of the elderly population. It causes a progressive decline in memory and other cognitive functions. There is no effective treatment of AD despite the great effort in trying to find one. Herein new therapeutic approaches including those closely targeting the pathogenesis of the disease have been discussed. Potential disease modifying treatments that are being considered as future treatment of AD include avaccination, secretase inhibitors, cholesterol lowering drugs, metal chelators and anti- inflammatory agents. According to Evidence Based Dementia Practice, only inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) are approved in mild and moderate stages of AD treatment. From the end of 2003, FDA also approved memantine for much severer phases of AD. When all the presented possibilities are taken into account, the most important target for scientists and physicians is not only to find ways for causative cure of AD, but also to be ready for that moment. There is a great need for finding routine biomarkers and sensitive enough clinical tests for diagnosis of AD in which the lasting pathological process does not destroy too many neurones.
Barcikowska
Maria
M
Department of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Warszawa. mariab@cmdik.pan.pl
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000494:pharmacology; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000494:pharmacology; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000187:drug effects
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D016875:tau Proteins; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D010450:Endopeptidases; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; C509280:BACE1 protein, human