title: Is riluzole a new drug for Alzheimer's disease?
abstract: This Editorial highlights a study by Hunsberger et al. (2015) in the current issue of Journal of Neurochemistry, in which the authors explore the effects of riluzole (R) treatment on tau-P301L transgenic mice. The authors employed a comprehensive analysis of possible restorative effects of the drug by examining glutamate levels in subregions of the hippocampus, expression of tau and its hyper-phosphorylated forms, and memory function using behavioral tests. The authors report a simultaneous reduction in glutamate reuptake and an increase in glutamate release in the tau-P301L model, both of which are ameliorated with riluzole treatment. The authors' findings have implications for our understanding of synaptic transmission mechanisms also associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Henry Wellcome Laboratories for Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.|Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Whitcomb
authors.affiliation: Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.|School of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Elek
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Molnár
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019782:Riluzole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D024801:Tauopathies / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D016875:tau Proteins; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D019782:Riluzole