Pharmacological approaches to mitigate neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease

Int Immunopharmacol. 2020 Jul:84:106479. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2020.106479. Epub 2020 Apr 27.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the formation of extracellular amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Growing evidence suggested that there is an association between neuronal dysfunction and neuroinflammation (NI) in AD, coordinated by the chronic activation of astrocytes and microglial cells along with the subsequent excessive generation of the proinflammatory molecule. Therefore, a better understanding of the relationship between the nervous and immune systems is important in order to delay or avert the neurodegenerative events of AD. The inflammatory/immune pathways and the mechanisms to control these pathways may provide a novel arena to develop new drugs in order to target NI in AD. In this review, we represent the influence of cellular mediators which are involved in the NI process, with regards to the progression of AD. We also discuss the processes and the current status of multiple anti-inflammatory agents which are used in AD and have gone through or going through clinical trials. Moreover, new prospects for targeting NI in the development of AD drugs have also been highlighted.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Anti-inflammatory agents; Immune system; Neuroinflammation; Proinflammatory molecules.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / drug therapy*
  • Alzheimer Disease / etiology*
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology*
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Cytokines / drug effects
  • Cytokines / immunology
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / complications
  • Inflammation / drug therapy*
  • Inflammation / metabolism*
  • Neuroglia / drug effects
  • Neuroglia / immunology
  • Neuroglia / metabolism
  • Neurons / drug effects*
  • Neurons / immunology
  • Neurons / metabolism

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Cytokines