Targeting Common Signaling Pathways for the Treatment of Stroke and Alzheimer's: a Comprehensive Review

Neurotox Res. 2021 Oct;39(5):1589-1612. doi: 10.1007/s12640-021-00381-7. Epub 2021 Jun 25.

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases such as stroke and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are two inter-related disorders that affect the neurons in the brain and central nervous system. Alzheimer's is a disease by undefined origin and causes. Stroke and its most common type, ischemic stroke (IS), occurs due to the blockade of cerebral blood vessels. As an important feature, both of disorders are associated with irreversible damages to the brain and nervous system. In this regard, finding common signaling pathways and the same molecular origin between these two diseases may be a promising way for their solution. On the basis of literature appraisal, the most common signaling cascades implicated in the pathogenesis of AD and stroke including notch, autophagy, inflammatory, and insulin signaling pathways were reviewed. Furthermore, current therapeutic strategies including natural and synthetic pharmaceuticals aiming modulation of respective signaling factors were scrutinized to ameliorate neural deficits in AD and stroke. Taken together, digging deeper in the common connections and signal targeting can be greatly helpful in understanding and unified treating of these disorders.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Neurodegenerative disorders; Signaling pathways; Stroke; Therapeutic strategy.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / drug therapy*
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology
  • Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers / administration & dosage
  • Animals
  • Autophagy / drug effects
  • Autophagy / physiology
  • Brain / drug effects*
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain / pathology
  • Drug Delivery Systems / methods*
  • Humans
  • Insulin / administration & dosage
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Stroke / drug therapy*
  • Stroke / metabolism
  • Stroke / pathology
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors / administration & dosage

Substances

  • Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers
  • Insulin
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors