Alzheimer's disease: From molecular pathogenesis to innovative therapies

Alzheimer's disease is the most common neurodegenerative disorder and most prevalent cause of dementia in the elderly. Current standard treatment of Alzheimer's disease is based on the use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, which have shown symptomatic benefits on cognitive, functional and behavioral symptoms of the disease. A growing body of evidence suggests that the accumulation of amyloid β-peptides may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (amyloid hypothesis). The incremental progress in elucidating the molecular basis of Alzheimer's disease is pointing the way towards more targeted and pathogenically specific treatment approaches. This review analyzes the available data on the new directions of Alzheimer's disease therapy, with particular focus on secretase inhibitors, amyloid β-peptide vaccination, anti-inflammatory agents, metal chelators and cholesterol-lowering drugs.