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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and has affected millions of individuals worldwide. The hallmarks of AD include the amyloid beta plaque deposits, tau neurofibrillary tangles, altered neuronal signaling, alongside decline in memory and cognitive functions. Conventional drug therapies do exist, such as donepezil or aducanumab, but these drugs mostly focus on halting AD progression instead of causing a reversal within the disease. In an effort to ameliorate and ultimately cure AD, researchers have delved into viral-mediated gene therapy to fix this disease from its root molecular causes. To date, adeno-associated virus and lentiviral vectors have remained the most vastly studied among other viral vectors to combat AD. These vectors could be employed alongside various genetic materials based on the types of processes we want to alter to yield a positive effect, such as disruption of amyloidogenic pathway, neuroprotection and lipid metabolism pathways. Recent studies and trials were reviewed in this article, highlighting their clinical significance, differences and limitations between each method. By learning from the different combinations and possibilities of viral-mediated gene transfer, researchers would then get a step closer in ameliorating symptoms and possibly in curing AD.

Background and Purpose: The central nervous system (CNS) faces unique difficulties in attaining permanent therapy for neurodegenerative disorder (ND). Genomic level forms of therapy have garnered interest in the recent decade, with the novel CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing tool continuing to be explored due to its efficiency, safety, and adaptability to varying conditions. With the aid of viral vectors as transport vectors, the gene editing tool has produced promising in vitro and in vivo findings in study models. Thus, this review focuses on the recent advancements and update of CRISPR/Cas9 to combat neurodegenerative diseases., Methods: Articles detailing potential applications of CRISPR/Cas9 in neurodegenerative settings were retrieved from PubMed and Google Scholar with the keywords "CRISPR," "gene editing," and "neurodegenerative diseases." Relevant information was collected and critically reviewed., Results: The utility of CRISPR/Cas9 coupled with viral transduction ranges from the disruption of amyloid precursor protein (APP) production at a genomic level in Alzheimer's disease (AD) to the deletion of varying exon portions of the Dmd gene in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) which would increase dystrophin expression. This usage of CRISPR/Cas9 also extends to experimentally ameliorate the neurodegenerative effects caused by viral infections., Conclusion: The CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing tool is a powerful arsenal in the field of gene therapy and molecular medicine; hence, more research should be called to focus on the ample potential this tool has to offer in the field of neurodegenerative diseases.