Alzheimer’s: A Degenerative Disease

ABOUT AUTHOR
Sachchidanand Pathak*, Lalit Singh, S.K. Sharma
Department of Pharmacology, Sunder Deep Pharmacy College, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
*E-mail: sachchidanand.pathak904@gmail.com

Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a common, complex and challenging neurodegenerative disease. It is estimated to affect approximately 15 million people worldwide and the incidence increases from 0.5% per year at age 65 years to 8% per year at age 85 years. The neuropathological hallmarks of AD are the accumulation of extracellular amyloid plaque containing amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles containing tau protein. Because the β-sheet formation and aggregation of Aβ are considered to be critical events that render these peptides neurotoxic, many researchers favor therapeutic approaches that target the formation, deposition and clearance of Aβ from nervous tissue. Experimental therapies and clinical trials using vaccination and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been reported.
Key words: Alzheimer’s disease, amyloid plaque, cholinesterase inhibitors