Evolution of Alzheimer’s Disease Therapeutics: From Conventional Drugs to Medicinal Plants, Immunotherapy, Microbiotherapy and Nanotherapy
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) represents an escalating global health crisis, constituting the leading cause of dementia among the elderly and profoundly impairing their quality of life. Current FDA-approved drugs, such as rivastigmine, donepezil, galantamine, and memantine, offer only modest symptomatic...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Emma Ortiz-Islas Pedro Montes Citlali Ekaterina Rodríguez-Pérez Elizabeth Ruiz-Sánchez Talía Sánchez-Barbosa Diego Pichardo-Rojas Cecilia Zavala-Tecuapetla Karla Carvajal-Aguilera Victoria Campos-Peña |
| author_facet | Emma Ortiz-Islas Pedro Montes Citlali Ekaterina Rodríguez-Pérez Elizabeth Ruiz-Sánchez Talía Sánchez-Barbosa Diego Pichardo-Rojas Cecilia Zavala-Tecuapetla Karla Carvajal-Aguilera Victoria Campos-Peña |
| author_sort | Emma Ortiz-Islas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Alzheimer’s disease (AD) represents an escalating global health crisis, constituting the leading cause of dementia among the elderly and profoundly impairing their quality of life. Current FDA-approved drugs, such as rivastigmine, donepezil, galantamine, and memantine, offer only modest symptomatic relief and are frequently associated with significant adverse effects. Faced with this challenge and in line with advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of this neurodegenerative condition, various innovative therapeutic strategies have been explored. Here, we review novel approaches inspired by advanced knowledge of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease. Among the therapeutic alternatives, immunotherapy stands out, employing monoclonal antibodies to specifically target and eliminate toxic proteins implicated in AD. Additionally, the use of medicinal plants is examined, as their synergistic effects among components may confer neuroprotective properties. The modulation of the gut microbiota is also addressed as a peripheral strategy that could influence neuroinflammatory and degenerative processes in the brain. Furthermore, the therapeutic potential of emerging approaches, such as the use of microRNAs to regulate key cellular processes and nanotherapy, which enables precise drug delivery to the central nervous system, is analyzed. Despite promising advances in these strategies, the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease continues to rise. Therefore, it is proposed that achieving effective treatment in the future may require the integration of combined approaches, maximizing the synergistic effects of different therapeutic interventions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8c49bf93132f4919aed19b8b41044413 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1999-4923 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pharmaceutics |
| spelling | doaj-art-8c49bf93132f4919aed19b8b410444132025-01-24T13:46:04ZengMDPI AGPharmaceutics1999-49232025-01-0117112810.3390/pharmaceutics17010128Evolution of Alzheimer’s Disease Therapeutics: From Conventional Drugs to Medicinal Plants, Immunotherapy, Microbiotherapy and NanotherapyEmma Ortiz-Islas0Pedro Montes1Citlali Ekaterina Rodríguez-Pérez2Elizabeth Ruiz-Sánchez3Talía Sánchez-Barbosa4Diego Pichardo-Rojas5Cecilia Zavala-Tecuapetla6Karla Carvajal-Aguilera7Victoria Campos-Peña8Laboratorio de Neurofarmacologia Molecular y Nanotecnologia, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Manuel Velasco Suárez, Mexico City 14269, MexicoLaboratorio de Neuroinmunoendocrinología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Manuel Velasco Suárez, Mexico City 14269, MexicoLaboratorio de Neurofarmacologia Molecular y Nanotecnologia, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Manuel Velasco Suárez, Mexico City 14269, MexicoLaboratorio de Neuroquímica, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Manuel Velasco Suárez, Mexico City 14269, MexicoLaboratorio Experimental de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Manuel Velasco Suárez, Mexico City 14269, MexicoPrograma Prioritario de Epilepsia, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Manuel Velasco Suárez, Mexico City 14269, MexicoLaboratorio Experimental de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Manuel Velasco Suárez, Mexico City 14269, MexicoLaboratorio de Nutrición Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Mexico City 04530, MexicoLaboratorio Experimental de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía, Manuel Velasco Suárez, Mexico City 14269, MexicoAlzheimer’s disease (AD) represents an escalating global health crisis, constituting the leading cause of dementia among the elderly and profoundly impairing their quality of life. Current FDA-approved drugs, such as rivastigmine, donepezil, galantamine, and memantine, offer only modest symptomatic relief and are frequently associated with significant adverse effects. Faced with this challenge and in line with advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of this neurodegenerative condition, various innovative therapeutic strategies have been explored. Here, we review novel approaches inspired by advanced knowledge of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease. Among the therapeutic alternatives, immunotherapy stands out, employing monoclonal antibodies to specifically target and eliminate toxic proteins implicated in AD. Additionally, the use of medicinal plants is examined, as their synergistic effects among components may confer neuroprotective properties. The modulation of the gut microbiota is also addressed as a peripheral strategy that could influence neuroinflammatory and degenerative processes in the brain. Furthermore, the therapeutic potential of emerging approaches, such as the use of microRNAs to regulate key cellular processes and nanotherapy, which enables precise drug delivery to the central nervous system, is analyzed. Despite promising advances in these strategies, the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease continues to rise. Therefore, it is proposed that achieving effective treatment in the future may require the integration of combined approaches, maximizing the synergistic effects of different therapeutic interventions.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/1/128Alzheimer’s diseasemedicinal plantsnanotechnologyprobioticsfecal microbiota transplantationmiRNAs |
| spellingShingle | Emma Ortiz-Islas Pedro Montes Citlali Ekaterina Rodríguez-Pérez Elizabeth Ruiz-Sánchez Talía Sánchez-Barbosa Diego Pichardo-Rojas Cecilia Zavala-Tecuapetla Karla Carvajal-Aguilera Victoria Campos-Peña Evolution of Alzheimer’s Disease Therapeutics: From Conventional Drugs to Medicinal Plants, Immunotherapy, Microbiotherapy and Nanotherapy Pharmaceutics Alzheimer’s disease medicinal plants nanotechnology probiotics fecal microbiota transplantation miRNAs |
| title | Evolution of Alzheimer’s Disease Therapeutics: From Conventional Drugs to Medicinal Plants, Immunotherapy, Microbiotherapy and Nanotherapy |
| title_full | Evolution of Alzheimer’s Disease Therapeutics: From Conventional Drugs to Medicinal Plants, Immunotherapy, Microbiotherapy and Nanotherapy |
| title_fullStr | Evolution of Alzheimer’s Disease Therapeutics: From Conventional Drugs to Medicinal Plants, Immunotherapy, Microbiotherapy and Nanotherapy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evolution of Alzheimer’s Disease Therapeutics: From Conventional Drugs to Medicinal Plants, Immunotherapy, Microbiotherapy and Nanotherapy |
| title_short | Evolution of Alzheimer’s Disease Therapeutics: From Conventional Drugs to Medicinal Plants, Immunotherapy, Microbiotherapy and Nanotherapy |
| title_sort | evolution of alzheimer s disease therapeutics from conventional drugs to medicinal plants immunotherapy microbiotherapy and nanotherapy |
| topic | Alzheimer’s disease medicinal plants nanotechnology probiotics fecal microbiota transplantation miRNAs |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/1/128 |
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