The evolution of Alzheimer’s disease therapies: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Abstract Alzheimer`s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease which accounts for most of the cases of dementia. The progression of the disease cannot be fully controlled by current medications, nor do they produce adequate therapeutic results. Understanding the molecular and cellular alterations linked to AD pathogenesis has advanced significantly in recent decades. Amyloid-peptide-containing cerebral plaques and thread-like neuronal structures made of the microtubule-associated protein TAU are two pathogenic features of the condition. Therefore, inhibiting amyloid formation, aggregation, or subsequent neurotoxic events is the primary goal of therapeutic drug development. Here, some newer therapeutic modalities are described, including anti-amyloid therapy, anti-tau therapy, antineuroinflammatory therapy, neuroprotective agents including N-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor modulators, and brain stimulation. Drug repositioning may speed up the development of pharmaceuticals, but non-pharmacological therapies, particularly repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), also have the potential to be used in therapeutic settings. Here we discussed current symptomatic therapy for AD as well as novel prospective disease-modifying medicines that are presently being investigated in phase I–III trials in this review. The study emphasizes how taking into account the intricate nature of AD pathogenesis and investigating drug repurposing strategies which can open the door to the creation of innovative AD therapies.