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Drug Development for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease: Where Do We Go Now?

Authors :
Lisa Sequeira
Sofia Benfeito
Carlos Fernandes
Inês Lima
Joana Peixoto
Catarina Alves
Cláudia Sofia Machado
Alexandra Gaspar
Fernanda Borges
Daniel Chavarria
Source :
Pharmaceutics, Vol 16, Iss 6, p 708 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are a set of progressive, chronic, and incurable diseases characterized by the gradual loss of neurons, culminating in the decline of cognitive and/or motor functions. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are the most common NDs and represent an enormous burden both in terms of human suffering and economic cost. The available therapies for AD and PD only provide symptomatic and palliative relief for a limited period and are unable to modify the diseases’ progression. Over the last decades, research efforts have been focused on developing new pharmacological treatments for these NDs. However, to date, no breakthrough treatment has been discovered. Hence, the development of disease-modifying drugs able to halt or reverse the progression of NDs remains an unmet clinical need. This review summarizes the major hallmarks of AD and PD and the drugs available for pharmacological treatment. It also sheds light on potential directions that can be pursued to develop new, disease-modifying drugs to treat AD and PD, describing as representative examples some advances in the development of drug candidates targeting oxidative stress and adenosine A2A receptors.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
19994923
Volume :
16
Issue :
6
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Pharmaceutics
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.4f4992fa6ba147229fcec8fab99b946a
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16060708