Exp Neurobiol.  2010 Jun;19(1):1-14. 10.5607/en.2010.19.1.1.

Why Do We Need Multifunctional Neuroprotective and Neurorestorative Drugs for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Diseases as Disease Modifying Agents

• Youdim MB

• KMID: 2165314
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5607/en.2010.19.1.1

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) are severe neurodegenerative disorders, with no drugs that are currently approved to prevent the neuronal cell loss characteristic in brains of patients suffering from PD and AD and all drug treatment are synptomactic. Due to the complex pathophysiology, including a cascade of neurotoxic molecular events that results in neuronal death and predisposition to depression and eventual dementia and etiology of these disorders, an innovative approach towards neuroprotection or neurorestoration (neurorescue) may be the development and use of multifunctional pharmaceuticals. Such drugs target an array of pathological pathways, each of which is believed to contribute to the cascades that ultimately lead to neuronal cell death. In this short review, we discuss examples of novel multifunctional ligands that may have potential as neuroprotective-neurorestorative therapeutics in PD and AD. The compounds discussed originate from synthetic chemistry as well as from natural sources.

Keyword

rasagiline; dual mechanism; adenosine; iron chelation

MeSH Terms

Adenosine
Alzheimer Disease
Brain
Cell Death
Dementia
Depression
Humans
Indans
Ligands
Neurodegenerative Diseases
Neurons
Parkinson Disease
Stress, Psychological
Adenosine
Indans
Ligands