Multi-Target Strategy and Experimental Studies of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Alzheimer's Disease Therapy.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial complex disease. The pathogenesis of AD is very complicated, and involves the β-amyloid (Aβ) cascade, tau hyperphosphorylation, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, reduced levels of neurotrophic factors, and damage and loss of synapses as well as cholinergic neurons. The multi-target characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may be advantageous over single-target drugs in the treatment of complex diseases. These drugs have therefore attracted more attention in the research and development of AD therapies. This review describes advances made in experimental studies of TCM for AD treatment. It discusses research, from our group and other laboratories, on TCM compound drugs (Shenwu capsule) and approximately 10 Chinese medicinal herb extracts (tetrahydroxystilbene glucoside, epimedium flavonoid, icariin, cornel iridoid glycoside, ginsenoside, puerarin, clausenamide, huperzine A, and timosaponins).
Department of Pharmacology, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, 45 Chang-chun Street, Beijing 100053, P. R. China. linli97@hotmail.com.
Lin
L
Li
Lan
L
Zhang
Cui-cui
CC
Yang
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000818:Animals; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal