Neuroprotection: Pharmacological Approaches

The development of therapeutic strategies to treat, prevent, or arrest the progression of a particular neurodegenerative disorder is generally based on our level of understanding of the proposed pathogenic mechanisms involved. With respect to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), proposed pharmacological interventions are, in fact, based on the mechanisms thought to underlie the etiology of the disease. These include increased amyloid beta burden, excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and the loss of trophic support, to name a few. Here, we review some of the major cellular and molecular mechanisms that have been implicated in the development of AD and describe the pharmacological interventions that have been proposed, developed, and implemented to reduce neuronal dysfunction and death associated with the disease.