Possible role of DPP4 inhibitors to promote hippocampal neurogenesis in Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract

As well-known to the scientific community, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disease that ends up with impairment of memory and cognition. Patient quality of life can be enhanced by targeting neurogenesis as a therapeutic paradigm. Preserving functional activity of SDF-1α and GLP-1 by DPPIV inhibition will enhance the homing of stem cells and modulate cell signalling pathways. The non-invasive approach presented in this article is a major advantage for managing AD, as regular/conventional stem-cell therapy necessarily relies on the application of regenerative stem cells exogenously. Using DPP-4 inhibitors to achieve the SDF-1α/CXCR4 axis stabilisation and augmenting GLP-1 levels, will enhance the homing/recruitment of brain resident and non-resident circulating stem cells/progenitor cells towards the sites of lesion to increase synaptic plasticity, a promising approach and also a novel one as well.

Keywords:

• Alzheimer’s
• chemokine
• hematopoietic stem cells
• neurodegenerative diseases
• stromal cell-derived factor
• synaptic plasticity

Disclosure statement

There is no conflict of interest among the authors for publication.

Additional information

Funding

The present study is funded by Department of AYUSH (EMR Scheme), Government of India, New Delhi under Grant number [Z0.28015/89/2014-HPC (EMR) AYUSH – A].