title: New insights into huperzine A for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Huperzine A, an active Lycopodium alkaloid extracted from traditional Chinese herb, is a potent, selective and reversible acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor and has been widely used in China for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Accordingly, some new mechanisms of action for huperzine A have been discovered over the past decades. In addition to its AChE inhibitory effect, potent multifaceted neuroprotective effect through activating cholinergic system and directly acting on mitochondria have been explored. Moreover, in order to maximize the efficacy and safety of huperzine A therapy, great efforts have been made to optimize drug delivery system. In the present article, an attempt is made to discuss the current progress and future perspective for huperzine A therapy in AD.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. hzhang@mail.shcnc.ac.cn
authors.forename: Hai-Yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D032502:Lycopodium / Q000737:chemistry*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C050426:huperzine A