CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets (Formerly Current Drug Targets - CNS & Neurological Disorders) - Volume 13, Issue 2, 2014

Developing a single selective ligand to a target relevant to two mechanistically interlinked diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and a neurodegenerative disorder, like Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease, provides the potential for an effective treatment that may impact both. The enzyme 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) has been revealed responsible for producing fatty acid molecules, leukotrienes. These leukotri Read More

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major health concern that affects nearly every society worldwide. The disease is an irreversible, progressive and age-related neurodegenerative disorder. It is characterized by impaired cognitive function and the diffuse deposition of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The causes of AD and the underlying mechanisms that trigger the onset of the disease are still a matter of debat Read More

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurological disease of the brain leading to the irreversible loss of neurons and intellectual abilities. Diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder that is characterized by high blood glucose in the context of insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency. The prevalence of AD and T2DM is increasing at an alarming rate and has become a major public health concern worl Read More

Epidemiological data testifies the increasing incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Some associations were made between occidental lifestyle and development of these pathologies, moreover AD and T2DM are linked since each pathology is a causative risk factor for the other. Interestingly, autophagy, a catabolic pathway whose efficiency declines with age is importantly impaired in the Read More

The relationship between the two age-related diseases namely, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is gaining much attention in research because of the alarming forecast on both increasing incidence and economic burden. Recent research studies have identified some of the existing links, between AD and T2DM, such as the dysfunctional glucose metabolism and insulin signaling, stress and inflam Read More

Enzymes play a very vital role in maintaining the homeostasis inside the body. Improper functioning of enzymes is associated with many diseases. Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE), a ubiquitously expressed zinc metalloprotease, is believed to act as a junction point of Type 2 Diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Recent studies provide inkling for the use of IDE as a potential target hence the design of its regulators would be a Read More

Several chemotherapeutic drugs are known to cause significant clinical neurotoxicity, which can result in the early cessation of treatment. To identify and develop more effective means of neuroprotection it is important to understand the toxicity of these drugs at the molecular and cellular levels. This study describes molecular interactions between human brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and the well-known anti-neoplastic Read More

The incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with associated serious complications continues to grow rapidly especially in developed countries. Emerging evidence indicates that AD and T2DM share some common risk factors with comparable pathological features including insulin resistance, amyloidogenesis, glucocorticoid imbalance, inflammation, mitochondrial function and oxidative stre Read More

Cognitive decline is a debilitating feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The causes leading to such impairment are still poorly understood and effective treatments for AD are still unavailable. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been identified as a risk factor for AD due to desensitisation of insulin receptors in the brain. Recent studies have suggested that epigenetic mechanisms may also play a pivotal role in the pathogenesi Read More

After the revolutionary Rotterdam study that suggested there was an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a number of studies have provided direct evidence for the linkage between AD and T2DM. In recent years, AD is considered as a neuroendocrine disorder, also referred as type-3 diabetes. There is a growing list of evidence to suggest that, in additio Read More

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are two devastating diseases that are currently incurable. Epidemiological, clinical and pathological evidence has confirmed the co-existence of these two disorders. Moreover, there has been promising progress made in the identification of the pathological linkage between T2DM and AD in the last decade. Hence, developing common treatment strategies for Read More

In recent years, there is a growing interest in research to investigate the importance of gut microbiome in health and diseases. This opens a new area of research for the role of microbial flora of the human gut in inflammation, energy homeostasis, pathogenesis of obesity and other associated disorders. Recent studies propose association of the gut microbiome with development of obesity and metabolic syndromes, Read More

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are complex diseases commonly associated with aging. Accumulating evidence indicates a connection between these two diseases at the molecular level. Much of what we currently know about T2D and AD is derived from in vivo and in vitro studies. However, further research and characterization of molecules is necessary to establish a strong connection between T2D a Read More

Recent data suggest that brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) resistant. So far, there have been two different approaches to investigate possible therapeutic implications of modulating cerebral insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) in AD. One approach is peripheral or intranasal administration of insulin or IGF-1. Intranasal and peripheral insulin administration has been shown to Read More

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are two progressive and devastating health disorders afflicting millions of people worldwide. The probability and incidence of both have increased considerably in recent years consequent to increased longevity and population growth. Progressively more links are being continuously found between inflammation and central nervous system disorders like AD, Park Read More

Stress has become an integral part of human life and organisms are being constantly subjected to stress and the ability to cope with such stress is a crucial determinant of health and disease. Neuropeptides (bioactive peptides) play a crucial role in mediating different effects of acute and chronic stress. Some of these neuropeptides including oxytocin, urocortins, neuropeptide Y (NPY), neuropeptide S, cocaine and ampheta Read More

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly. In recent years increasing evidence supports the pharmaceutical potential of curcumin, a polyphenolic compound in the spice turmeric, against PD. Here we briefly summarize the pharmacological activities of curcumin in vitro and in animal models of PD, including counteracting oxidative stress and inflammation, preventing α-synuc Read More