Therapeutic options in Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) places an enormous burden on individuals, families and society. Consequently, a tremendous effort is being devoted to the development of drugs that prevent or delay neurodegeneration. Current pharmacological treatments are based on the use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors or memantine, a N-methyl-D-aspartate channel blocker. However, new therapeutic approaches, including those more closely targeted to the pathogenesis of the disease, are being developed. These potentially disease-modifying therapeutics include secretase inhibitors, cholesterol-lowering drugs, amyloid-beta immunotherapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hormonal modulation and the use of antioxidants. The possibility that oxidative stress is a primary event in AD indicates that antioxidant-based therapies are perhaps the most promising weapons against this devastating neurodegenerative disorder.
Moreira
Paula I
PI
Case Western Reserve University, Department of Pathology, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA. venta@ci.uc.pt
Zhu
Xiongwei
X
Nunomura
Akihiko
A
Smith
Mark A
MA
Perry
George
G
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000187:drug effects; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000975:Antioxidants; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D010450:Endopeptidases; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; C509280:BACE1 protein, human