Neuroprotective Strategies for Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention and Therapy

While the majority of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) therapeutic approaches are focused on reducing levels of toxic forms of amyloid-beta and tau, the broad scope of neurodegenerative processes underlying both early- and late-stage AD will likely require additional and/or more robust approaches that target sufficiently fundamental and proximate degenerative mechanisms. Many of these approaches encompass the expansive area of so-called neuroprotective strategies. In the context of neuroprotection, neurotrophin receptors offer particularly potent targets as they regulate fundamental signaling networks that are extensively integrated with signaling pathways associated with AD synaptic dysfunction and degenerative processes. These receptors therefore provide an attractive approach for preventing and/or inhibiting processes contributing to, or resulting from, pathological forms of amyloid-beta and tau. Moreover, neurotrophin receptor signaling might serve to counteract a number of other AD-relevant processes beyond amyloid-beta and tau, including those linked to aging and inflammation.