Current strategies for improvements in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

There have been many promising developments in recent years. Several new targets have been iden fied and new drugs developed, or exis ng drugs adapted, to treat AD. However, there are problems with side-effects and specificity. A number of drugs have reduced β-amyloid/ phosphorylated tau levels and improved cogni ve func on in animal models and in humans but then produced no significant benefit in AD pa ents in phase 3 trials. Several strategies of trea ng AD have not been covered here due to lack of space. These include diabe c drugs which are being used to treat AD, metal chaelators, mitochondrial drugs, histamine receptor antagonists and hormone therapy. As our understanding of the links between inflamma on, oxida ve stress, neuronal damage and the plaques and NFTs found in AD brains improves, new targets may be iden fied and, perhaps whole new classes of drugs developed. Gene therapy trials are a par cularly fascinating development and hold out the hope of restoring lost neuronal func on and improving memory, learning and cogni on. However, in the short term there is li le hope of significant improvement in the quality of life of pa ents and carers.