Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.1.1.7 (acetylcholinesterase)
 28,390 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Current treatment approaches in Alzheimer's disease are primarily symptomatic, with the major therapeutic strategy based on acetylcholinesterase inhibition. Alzheimer's disease research should advance over ensuing decade(s) to yield better symptomatic therapies, drugs designed to slow the rate of progression, and disease preventing agents. The next generation of cholinergic agents will include long acting cholinesterase inhibitors with a good safety profile and brain specific muscarinic agonists. The most critical advances in Alzheimer's disease treatment, however, will target slowing of disease progression and prevention of dementia. Therapeutic agents are being developed that interfere with the synthesis, deposition and aggregation of beta-amyloid protein. Clinical trials are presently being conducted with small molecules having nerve growth factor like activity (e.g. AIT-082, cerebrolysin). In addition, estrogen, anti-inflammatory agents (e.g. cyclooxygenase inhibitors) and antioxidant approaches (e.g. vitamin E) are currently being proposed or utilized in disease prevention trials.
 ...
PMID:Perspectives in clinical Alzheimer's disease research and the development of antidementia drugs. 970 Jun 63

The 5th International Geneva/Springfield Symposium on Advances in Alzheimer Therapy focused on new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of Alzheimer 's disease (AD) based on the latest basic science data. The two major pharmacological principles of cholinergic therapy are 1) reduction of acetylcholine hydrolysis by means of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors; and 2) direct stimulation of nicotinic or muscarinic receptors with selective agonists. Currently used AChE inhibitors are tacrine, donepezil hydrochloride, rivastigmine and metrifonate. In the area of muscarinic and nicotinic receptor modulation, studies were presented on AF-102B and AF-150(S), BIBN-99, CI-1017, RJR-2403, ABT-418, ABT-089, GTS-21 and SIB-1553A. Based on evidence of inflammatory mechanisms in the pathogenesis of AD, selective COX-2 inhibitors for the prevention and treatment of AD are a target of several pharmaceutical companies. Concerning known antiinflammatory drugs, results from controlled trials are expected soon. Estrogen replacement has been reported to produce cognitive and affective improvement in women with AD, and results from a number of studies were presented. Age-associated increases in oxidative stress may play a role in AD and thus antioxidants may also have a place in the therapy of this disease. The antioxidants vitamin E and selegiline are being investigated. Other drugs under investigation are propentofylline, Cerebrolysin, citicoline sodium, CDP-choline, memantine, Egb-761, calagualine and AIT-082. Iododoxorubicin may represent a new class of compounds able to interfere with the beta-amyloid cascade in AD and other brain amyloid diseases. Future preventive strategies in AD include genotype analysis and screening, presymptomatic diagnosis and avoidance of environmental risk factors.
 ...
PMID:Alzheimer's disease therapy - an update. 1561 67