Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder and the most common form of dementia, affecting about 35 million people worldwide. The progressive accumulation of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide in specific brain areas is considered to be the initial event in the pathological cascade ultimately culminating in AD neurodegeneration. The accumulation of Aβ aggregates starts about 20 years before the occurrence of clinical symptoms, mainly because of an inadequate clearance of the peptide. Many amyloid-targeted therapies have been investigated in the past 20 years, but the vast majority of them have failed to demonstrate significant clinical efficacy. Their failure has been associated not only with an inappropriate design of clinical trials, but also to the incomplete comprehension of AD pathophysiology.

The massively increasing number of individuals affected by AD, with huge economic and social impact, explains the primary interest of research to identify early disease-modifying therapies aimed at targeting Aβ peptide in order to prevent and mitigate its neurotoxicity. Despite the enormous effort made by researchers in the last decades, the largest majority of drugs entering clinical trials has not been approved. Thus, the development of novel treatments to prevent the decline in functional activities of daily living and improve the quality of life of older adults is of fundamental importance. The goal of this Research Topic is to provide an update on new and recently proposed possible anti-Aβ therapies, including natural products, but also synthetic rationally-designed antibodies and modulators of its aggregation and neurotoxicity.

The scope of the present Research Topic is to update the readers on the most advanced therapeutic approaches targeting Aβ peptide. Original research papers, reviews, perspectives, and short communications related to the current Research Topic are warmly welcome. The areas covered by this Research Topic may include but are not limited to:

• Active and passive anti Aβ immunotherapy

• Secretases inhibitors and modulators

• Modulators of Aβ aggregation and clearance

• Modulators of signal transduction pathways activated by Aβ aggregates

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Frontiers in Neuroscience

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