Cited by 93Alzheimer's disease research and treatmentsCholinesterase and Neurodegenerative DiseasesDementia and Cognitive Impairment Research

Small molecule therapeutics for tauopathy in Alzheimer’s disease: Walking on the path of most resistance

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Wang, Lisha, Bharti, Kumar, Rajnish, Pavlov, Pavel F., Winblad, Bengt·2021·European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia characterized by presence of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles composed of tau protein. Currently there are close to 50 million people living with dementia and this figure is expected to increase to 75 million by 2030 putting a huge burden on the economy due to the health care cost. Considering the effects on quality of life of patients and the increasing burden on the economy, there is an enormous need of new disease modifying therapies to tackle this disease. The current therapies are dominated by only symptomatic treatments including cholinesterase inhibitors and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor blockers but no disease modifying treatments exist so far. After several failed attempts to develop drugs against amyloidopathy, tau targeting approaches have been in the main focus of drug development against AD. After an overview of the tauopathy in AD, this review summarizes recent findings on the development of small molecules as therapeutics targeting tau modification, aggregation, and degradation, and tau-oriented multi-target directed ligands. Overall, this work aims to provide a comprehensive and critical overview of small molecules which are being explored as a lead candidate for discovering drugs against tauopathy in AD.

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  1. Therapies take aim at tau. https://www.alzforum.org/news/conference- coverage/therapies-take-aim-tau#Disrupting, 2014.
  2. 143Treating tau: finally, clinical candidates are stepping into the ring. https:// www.alzforum.org/news/conference-coverage/treating-tau-finally-clinical- candidates-are-stepping-ring#strategies, 2017.
  3. R. Howard, O. Zubko, R. Bradley, E. Harper, L. Pank, J. O'Brien, C. Fox, N. Tabet, G. Livingston, P. Bentham, R. McShane, A. Burns, C. Ritchie, S. Reeves, S. Lovestone, C. Ballard, W. Noble, R. Nilforooshan, G. Wilcock, R. Gray, G. Minocycline, in: Alzheimer Disease Efficacy Trialist, Minocycline at 2 Different Dosages vs Placebo for Patients with Mild Alzheimer Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial, JAMA Neurol. 1 vol. 77, 2020, pp. 164e174, 2.

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Authors
Wang, L., Bharti, Kumar, R., Pavlov, P. F., & Winblad, B.
Affiliations
  • Karolinska Institutet (SE)
  • Karolinska University Hospital (SE)
Corresponding author
Winblad, Bengt
Venue
European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-01
Volume
209
Pages
112915
ISSN
0223-5234 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3092711150
Cited by
92
References
278
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 7 · 2014: 1
FWCI
1.63
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Loo och Hans Ostermans Stiftelse för Medicinsk Forskning
  • Gun och Bertil Stohnes Stiftelse
  • Margareta af Ugglas Foundation
  • Vetenskapsrådet (2015\u201302774, 2018\u201302843)
  • Banaras Hindu University
  • Karolinska Institutet
  • Hjärnfonden
  • Magnus Bergvalls Stiftelse
  • Gunvor och Josef Anérs Siftelse
  • Stiftelsen för Gamla Tjänarinnor
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Cholinesterase and Neurodegenerative Diseases
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease, tauopathy, tau protein, small molecule drugs, tau aggregation, tau degradation, multi-target-directed ligands, disease-modifying therapy, drug development, neurofibrillary tangles
MeSH terms
Alzheimer Disease, Animals, Cholinesterase Inhibitors, Cholinesterases, Curcumin, Humans, Phosphorylation, Protein Processing, Post-Translational, Quinazolines, Thiadiazoles, Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate, Neurofibrillary Tangles, tau Proteins, Neuroprotective Agents, Benzodioxoles, Plaque, Amyloid, Molecular Targeted Therapy, Protein Aggregation, Pathological

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