Chronic inflammation in Alzheimer's disease offers therapeutic opportunities

Postmortem studies have revealed a state of chronic inflammation in affected regions of the brain in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Chronic inflammation can be damaging to host cells and the brain may be particularly vulnerable as neurons are not replaced. Evidence suggests that the inflammation is killing neurons in AD brain, so anti-inflammatory agents might slow the process of the disease. More than 20 epidemiological studies have shown that persons taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have a greatly reduced incidence of AD. In one clinical trial, indomethacin appeared to halt the progression of memory loss in AD patients. NSAIDs inhibit synthesis of prostaglandins, which are fringe players in the inflammatory process. Agents that would block the more important actors, such as the complement system, activated microglia and inflammatory cytokines, might have important therapeutic benefits in AD as well as in other conditions, such as heart disease and stroke, where inflammation also plays a deleterious role.