New acetylcholinesterase inhibitors for Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) remains a highly viable target for the symptomatic improvement in Alzheimer's disease (AD) because cholinergic deficit is a consistent and early finding in AD. The treatment approach of inhibiting peripheral AchE for myasthenia gravis had effectively proven that AchE inhibition was a reachable therapeutic target. Subsequently tacrine, donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine were developed and approved for the symptomatic treatment of AD. Since then, multiple cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEI) continue to be developed. These include newer ChEIs, naturally derived ChEIs, hybrids, and synthetic analogues. In this paper, we summarize the different types of ChEIs in development and their respective mechanisms of actions. This pharmacological approach continues to be active with many promising compounds.

• Authors: Mona Mehta, Abdu Adem, Marwan Sabbagh
• Journal: International journal of Alzheimer's disease (Int J Alzheimers Dis) Vol. 2012 Pg. 728983 ( 2012) ISSN: 2090-0252 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 22216416 (Publication Type: Journal Article)