Despite more than fifty years of intensive research on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) drug discovery, up till now only four medicines are approved by FDA for its treatment; among which three are acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors (donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine) and one is N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist memantine. These medications were launched during the initial research for AD but were not able to provide satisfactory results because of their limited efficacy and numerous side effects. The high-profile failure of late-stage clinical trials by prominent pharma firms for biomolecules that showed promising results in experimental models has added to the dissatisfaction of drug development research for AD in recent years. The global dementia patient population was expected to be 50 million in 2017, with projections of 82 million and 152 million in 2030 and 2045, respectively. There is a significant flaw in our understanding of AD pathology, as well as in the experimental models we use to depict human pathology and our therapeutic methods.
In light of this, this Research Topic is created to highlight the critical significance of natural products in therapeutic development for human diseases. The therapeutic potential of several natural products, including crude extracts and purified compounds, has been demonstrated in numerous experimental models, with pharmacological efficacy comparable to that of known medicines. This includes effects via specific biological targets (enzymes, receptors, ion channels, and so on) or a variety of mechanisms extending from basic antioxidants and anti-inflammatory mechanisms to neuroprotection and neuroregeneration pathways. Insights into AD therapy using natural products in the form of original research articles or reviews in all areas of AD pathology, experimental designs, and therapeutic approaches are encouraged.
The main goal of this collection is to put light on the current status of natural products in AD. As natural products including many polyphenols or other agents are given in combination with marketed available AD drugs to increase their efficacy. So, all those research areas that cover the current status of natural products in single or in combination with other agents to improve the efficacy of AD/dementia will be focused on.
• Natural products targeting AD (In-vitro, in-vivo, and in-silico);
• Drug discovery for AD by targeting pathways;
• Combination therapy to improve the efficacy of Anti-AD agents;
• Polytherapy vs single chemical entity;
• Experimental models of dementia;
• Novel bioassays for cognitive disorders.
Despite more than fifty years of intensive research on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) drug discovery, up till now only four medicines are approved by FDA for its treatment; among which three are acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors (donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine) and one is N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist memantine. These medications were launched during the initial research for AD but were not able to provide satisfactory results because of their limited efficacy and numerous side effects. The high-profile failure of late-stage clinical trials by prominent pharma firms for biomolecules that showed promising results in experimental models has added to the dissatisfaction of drug development research for AD in recent years. The global dementia patient population was expected to be 50 million in 2017, with projections of 82 million and 152 million in 2030 and 2045, respectively. There is a significant flaw in our understanding of AD pathology, as well as in the experimental models we use to depict human pathology and our therapeutic methods.
In light of this, this Research Topic is created to highlight the critical significance of natural products in therapeutic development for human diseases. The therapeutic potential of several natural products, including crude extracts and purified compounds, has been demonstrated in numerous experimental models, with pharmacological efficacy comparable to that of known medicines. This includes effects via specific biological targets (enzymes, receptors, ion channels, and so on) or a variety of mechanisms extending from basic antioxidants and anti-inflammatory mechanisms to neuroprotection and neuroregeneration pathways. Insights into AD therapy using natural products in the form of original research articles or reviews in all areas of AD pathology, experimental designs, and therapeutic approaches are encouraged.
The main goal of this collection is to put light on the current status of natural products in AD. As natural products including many polyphenols or other agents are given in combination with marketed available AD drugs to increase their efficacy. So, all those research areas that cover the current status of natural products in single or in combination with other agents to improve the efficacy of AD/dementia will be focused on.
• Natural products targeting AD (In-vitro, in-vivo, and in-silico);
• Drug discovery for AD by targeting pathways;
• Combination therapy to improve the efficacy of Anti-AD agents;
• Polytherapy vs single chemical entity;
• Experimental models of dementia;
• Novel bioassays for cognitive disorders.