Pharmacological approaches for Alzheimer's disease: neurotransmitter as drug targets

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pharmacology
• Neurology

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a prevalent, incurable central nervous system (CNS) disorder.
• Current treatments lack proven efficacy in prevention or cure, necessitating urgent drug development.
• Neurotransmitter abnormalities are a key feature of AD pathology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment strategies.
• To discuss drugs in clinical trials, particularly those modulating neurotransmitters.
• To highlight the need for therapies targeting pathogenomic protein deposits.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on AD treatment strategies.
• Analysis of drugs currently in clinical trials for AD, focusing on Phase III.
• Examination of pharmacological approaches for neurotransmitter modulation.

Main Results:

• Several drugs targeting neurotransmitter modulation are in Phase III clinical trials for AD.
• Existing strategies primarily address neurotransmitter dysfunction.
• A gap remains in therapies designed to remove pathological protein aggregates.

Conclusions:

• While neurotransmitter modulation offers therapeutic potential for AD, it is not a complete solution.
• Development of drugs targeting protein deposits is crucial for combating AD progression.
• Combined therapeutic approaches may be necessary for effective Alzheimer's disease (AD) management.