Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contact

Science: general issues --- Pharmacology --- Alzheimer’s disease --- preclinical studies --- drug research and development --- neurodegeneration --- synaptic plasticity

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive dysfunction and memory loss, inability to perform the activities of daily living and mood disorders. According to the so-called “amyloid cascade hypothesis”, amyloid-ß- peptide (Aß), produced by beta- and gamma- secretase-mediated cleavages of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of AD. Aß was also shown to contribute to AD pathology by stimulating the hyperphosphorylation of tau which is responsible for the formation of neurofibrillary tangles. However, the “amyloid cascade hypothesis” was challenged by other theories which lend support to the idea that Aß is not causative but can be considered as an “innocent bystander” in AD. Although preclinical research generated impressive lines of evidence about the several intracellular mechanism(s) whose impairment leads to the onset and progression of AD, clinical research aimed at the development of new drugs capable of preventing or delaying the onset of neuronal damage in AD patients has produced limited results. The drugs currently available for the treatment of AD are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) and the NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist memantine. The AChEI increase acetylcholine levels in the synaptic cleft, which are reduced because of the progressive damage of cholinergic neurons in cognitive brain areas (e.g. amygdala, hippocampus, and frontal cortex), whereas memantine is used to prevent/reduce calcium-dependent excitotoxic neuronal cell death. Both classes of drugs have been shown to improve symptoms related to cognitive decline, but their effects are confined largely to patients with mild to moderate AD, in particular during the first year or so of treatment. An alternative to this symptomatic treatments involves the use of drugs that intervene in the pathogenesis of the disease. Recently, monoclonal antibodies against Aß were proposed as novel agents capable to remove Aß from the brain thus preventing neuronal damage. The research topic focuses on the preclinical and clinical evidence about the several factors that contribute to the pathogenesis of AD as well as the potential therapeutic role of new classes of drugs still under preclinical or clinical development.

Alzheimer's disease. --- preclinical studies --- neurodegeneration --- Clinical Trials as Topic --- drug research and development --- Alzheimer's disease

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive dysfunction and memory loss, inability to perform the activities of daily living and mood disorders. According to the so-called “amyloid cascade hypothesis”, amyloid-ß- peptide (Aß), produced by beta- and gamma- secretase-mediated cleavages of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of AD. Aß was also shown to contribute to AD pathology by stimulating the hyperphosphorylation of tau which is responsible for the formation of neurofibrillary tangles. However, the “amyloid cascade hypothesis” was challenged by other theories which lend support to the idea that Aß is not causative but can be considered as an “innocent bystander” in AD. Although preclinical research generated impressive lines of evidence about the several intracellular mechanism(s) whose impairment leads to the onset and progression of AD, clinical research aimed at the development of new drugs capable of preventing or delaying the onset of neuronal damage in AD patients has produced limited results. The drugs currently available for the treatment of AD are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) and the NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist memantine. The AChEI increase acetylcholine levels in the synaptic cleft, which are reduced because of the progressive damage of cholinergic neurons in cognitive brain areas (e.g. amygdala, hippocampus, and frontal cortex), whereas memantine is used to prevent/reduce calcium-dependent excitotoxic neuronal cell death. Both classes of drugs have been shown to improve symptoms related to cognitive decline, but their effects are confined largely to patients with mild to moderate AD, in particular during the first year or so of treatment. An alternative to this symptomatic treatments involves the use of drugs that intervene in the pathogenesis of the disease. Recently, monoclonal antibodies against Aß were proposed as novel agents capable to remove Aß from the brain thus preventing neuronal damage. The research topic focuses on the preclinical and clinical evidence about the several factors that contribute to the pathogenesis of AD as well as the potential therapeutic role of new classes of drugs still under preclinical or clinical development.

Alzheimer's disease. --- preclinical studies --- neurodegeneration --- Clinical Trials as Topic --- drug research and development --- Alzheimer's disease

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Drug Evaluation --- Drug Industry --- Drugs, Investigational --- Research --- Drugs --- Pharmacology --- Drug development --- Médicaments --- Pharmacologie --- Periodicals. --- Testing --- Périodiques --- Développement --- Essais cliniques --- Drug Evaluation. --- Drug Industry. --- Drugs, Investigational. --- Research. --- Drug development. --- Drugs. --- Pharmacology. --- Testing. --- Chemistry --- Health Sciences --- Biochemistry --- Pharmacy and Pharmacology --- pharmacology --- drug development --- drug research --- Drug effects --- Medical pharmacology --- Medical sciences --- Chemicals --- Chemotherapy --- Pharmacy --- Medicaments --- Medications --- Medicine (Drugs) --- Medicines (Drugs) --- Pharmaceuticals --- Prescription drugs --- Bioactive compounds --- Medical supplies --- Pharmacopoeias --- Materia medica --- Development of drugs --- New drug development --- Clinical drug trials --- Clinical trials of drugs --- Drug bioscreening --- Drug trials --- Clinical pharmacology --- Laboratory Research --- Research Activities --- Research and Development --- Research Priorities --- Activities, Research --- Activity, Research --- Development and Research --- Priorities, Research --- Priority, Research --- Research Activity --- Research Priority --- Research, Laboratory --- Ethics, Research --- Investigational Drugs --- Investigational New Drugs --- Drugs, Investigational New --- New Drugs, Investigational --- Drug Approval --- Industries, Pharmaceutic --- Industry, Drug --- Industry, Pharmaceutic --- Industry, Pharmaceutical --- Pharmaceutical Industry --- Drug Industries --- Industries, Drug --- Industries, Pharmaceutical --- Pharmaceutic Industries --- Pharmaceutic Industry --- Pharmaceutical Industries --- Drug Evaluation Studies --- Evaluation Studies, Drug --- Drug Evaluation Study --- Drug Evaluations --- Evaluation Study, Drug --- Evaluation, Drug --- Evaluations, Drug --- Studies, Drug Evaluation --- Study, Drug Evaluation --- Physiological effect --- Development --- Clinical trials --- Effectiveness --- Evaluation --- Pharmacology. Therapy --- farmacologie --- Investigational Drug --- Investigational New Drug --- Drug, Investigational --- Drug, Investigational New --- New Drug, Investigational