Clinical Research on Alzheimer's Disease: Progress and Perspectives

Neurosci Bull. 2018 Dec;34(6):1111-1118. doi: 10.1007/s12264-018-0249-z. Epub 2018 Jun 28.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common type of dementia, is becoming a major challenge for global health and social care. However, the current understanding of AD pathogenesis is limited, and no early diagnosis and disease-modifying therapy are currently available. During the past year, significant progress has been made in clinical research on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of AD. In this review, we summarize the latest achievements, including diagnostic biomarkers, polygenic hazard score, amyloid and tau PET imaging, clinical trials targeting amyloid-beta (Aβ), tau, and neurotransmitters, early intervention, and primary prevention and systemic intervention approaches, and provide novel perspectives for further efforts to understand and cure the disease.

Keywords: 5-HT6 receptor antagonist; Alzheimer’s disease; Amyloid-beta; BACE1 inhibitor; Biomarker; Immunotherapy; Positron emission tomographic imaging; Primary prevention; Tau.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease* / diagnosis
  • Alzheimer Disease* / physiopathology
  • Alzheimer Disease* / therapy
  • Animals
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Biomedical Research / methods*
  • Disease Progression
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Substances

  • Biomarkers