Prevention and treatment of Alzheimer′s disease: challenges and perspectives / 中华神经科杂志

Alzheimer′s disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disease, is a major challenge in China and all the world. However, the pathogenesis of AD remains unclear, and no disease-modifying therapies are available to prevent or treat the disease. Amyloid-beta (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylated tau protein are key pathological molecules of AD. A series of clinical trials targeting Aβ, tau protein and neuroinflammation have been carried out in the past 20 years, but none of them have been successful in attenuating the cognitive decline so far. This paper discusses the challenges of the current clinical trials of AD and proposes future directions for the research of AD prevention and treatment.