Khan Bakhtawar, Iqbal Muhammad Khalid, Khan Muhammad Ajmal, Khan Hamid, Kiyani Mubin Mustafa, Bashir Shahid, Li Shao
Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Cerebral Diseases, Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
Division of Life Sciences, Center for Cancer Researchand, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurosciencesaq, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay Hong Kong, China.
J Mol Neurosci. 2025 Apr 25;75(2):57. doi: 10.1007/s12031-025-02337-4.
Alzheimer's disease, a complex and progressive neurological disorder, is the leading cause of late-life dementia. Pathologically, it is marked by the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. Over the past two decades, advancements in understanding the disease's pathogenesis have spurred research into new pharmacological treatments that target its underlying mechanisms. Currently available drugs, such as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (rivastigmine, galantamine, donepezil) and the NMDA receptor antagonist memantine, primarily address symptoms and are effective only in the later stages of the disease. While these medications can slow disease progression and provide symptomatic relief, they do not offer a cure. Despite having a clear understanding of Alzheimer's neuropathology, the precise mechanisms driving the disease remain elusive. The lack of effective treatments that can stop the start and progression of the disease may be caused by our incomplete understanding of the pathogenic process. New therapeutic targets are now available due to the significant advancements made in pathophysiology over the past few years, which should allow for a direct attack on the underlying illness process. The various pathophysiological pathways that underlie Alzheimer's disease and how it is managed by conventional medication therapy, including current exploratory therapeutic options, are covered in this review article. Innovative, beneficial policies are essential to determine and progress therapeutic molecules to defend against AD.
阿尔茨海默病是一种复杂的进行性神经疾病,是导致晚年痴呆的主要原因。在病理上,其特征是大脑中存在淀粉样斑块和神经原纤维缠结。在过去二十年里,对该疾病发病机制认识的进展推动了针对其潜在机制的新药理学治疗研究。目前可用的药物,如乙酰胆碱酯酶抑制剂(卡巴拉汀、加兰他敏、多奈哌齐)和N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸(NMDA)受体拮抗剂美金刚,主要针对症状,且仅在疾病后期有效。虽然这些药物可以减缓疾病进展并缓解症状,但无法治愈。尽管对阿尔茨海默病的神经病理学有清晰认识,但驱动该疾病的确切机制仍不清楚。缺乏能够阻止疾病起始和进展的有效治疗方法,可能是由于我们对致病过程的理解不完整。由于过去几年病理生理学取得了重大进展,现在有了新的治疗靶点,这应该能够直接针对潜在的疾病进程。本文综述了阿尔茨海默病的各种病理生理途径以及如何通过传统药物治疗进行管理,包括当前的探索性治疗选择。创新、有益的政策对于确定和推进治疗分子以抵御阿尔茨海默病至关重要。