Special Issue: “Molecules against Alzheimer”

• Main Authors: Michael Decker, Diego Muñoz-Torrero
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2016-12-01
• Series: Molecules
• Subjects: Alzheimer’s disease; drug discovery; rational design; hybrid molecules; multi-target-directed molecules; polypharmacology; imaging agents; neuroprotectants; neurogenic molecules
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/21/12/1736

This Special Issue, entitled “Molecules against Alzheimer”, gathers a number of original articles, short communications, and review articles on recent research efforts toward the development of novel drug candidates, diagnostic agents and therapeutic approaches for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder and a leading cause of death worldwide. This Special Issue contains many interesting examples describing the design, synthesis, and pharmacological profiling of novel compounds that hit one or several key biological targets, such as cholinesterases, β-amyloid formation or aggregation, monoamine oxidase B, oxidative stress, biometal dyshomeostasis, mitochondrial dysfunction, serotonin and/or melatonin systems, the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, sigma receptors, nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, or nuclear erythroid 2-related factor. The development of novel AD diagnostic agents based on tau protein imaging and the use of lithium or intranasal insulin for the prevention or the symptomatic treatment of AD is also covered in some articles of the Special Issue.