Therapeutic Development of Interrelated Metabolic and Neurodegenerative Disorders

Background: Metabolic syndromes such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and obesity share common pathogenic pathways with some age-related neurodegenerative disorders. Impaired insulin signaling, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction and ER stress can be both causatives and consequences in both groups of the diseases. Patients with chronic metabolic disorders therefore have potential risks to develop neurological diseases in late-age phase and vice versa those who with neurodegenerative diseases also have impairments in metabolic signaling. Method: In this review, we summarize about the interrelation between pathogenic pathways, common drug targets as well as known and developing therapeutics for these “modern” diseases. Results: There are conventional medicines for insulin resistance associated metabolic disorders such as insulin analogues, insulin sensitizers and ER stress releasers which have been suggested in the treatments of some neurodegenerative diseases. Some used or tested therapeutics such as bromocriptine, memantine and α-2A adrenergic antagonists for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, vice versa, were promisingly shown as alternative or complementary drugs for metabolic syndromes. Conclusion: Therefore, it is important and possible to consider contemporary control and intervention for both diseases.