Non-conventional compounds with potential therapeutic effects against Alzheimer’s disease

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. Clinical progress in this pathogenesis field has drawn the attention of researchers, stimulating the investigation of novel treatment methods. Current therapies that deal with cholinesterase inhibitors and/or NMDA antagonists have shown a modest symptomatic potential, increasing the need for research into more efficient therapeutics. The goal of this review is to summarize the advances in, and the potential of, non-conventional therapies in AD treatment.

Areas covered: In this review, the authors describe the current status of unusual therapies in AD treatment, evaluating the modern scientific contexts in which these therapies have been developed. The authors also highlight the usage of methylene blue, natural products, organophosphorus compounds, and Chinese medicine, along with the employment of nanotechnology.

Expert opinion: The potential therapies discussed in this review will play increasingly important roles in the prevention and treatment of AD, improving disease management and quality of life for AD patients. Given the annual increasing number of people with dementia, it is crucial to invest in the search for novel therapeutics. In addition, more sophisticated diagnosis techniques are also essential, to allow for an early diagnosis and treatment.

KEYWORDS:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• neurodegeneration
• amyloid-β peptide
• acetylcholinesterase
• organophosphorus compounds
• methylene blue
• nanotechnology
• natural products

Article highlights

• Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is well-known as a progressive degenerative illness, and the number of global occurrences only tends to increase.

• There is an immediate necessity to find novel interventions and therapies that are able to prevent AD, delay its onset and slowdown its progression.

• Methylene blue appears to be a promising agent for AD treatment, and diverse studies have been conducted to explore its potential.

• Nanotechnology has become an important part of medicinal chemistry, showing potential for application in diverse kinds of treatments and therapies.

• Natural products are quite important in drug discovery because they provide a large range of compounds that may present therapeutic potential for the treatment of diverse diseases, including AD.

• Organophosphorus compounds could provide beneficial outcomes in cognitive impairment, stimulating further research into this class of compounds.

Declaration of interest

The authors wish to thank the funding agencies involved, as well as the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA) for providing physical infrastructure and working space. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by the Brazilian financial agencies Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Fundação de Amparo ao Ensino e Pesquisa de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior/Ministério da Defesa (CAPES/MD). This work was also supported by the Excellence Project PrF UHK.