Drug Development for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease: Where Do We Go Now?
Lisa Sequeira,
Sofia Benfeito,
Carlos Fernandes,
Inês Lima,
Joana Peixoto,
Catarina Alves,
Cláudia Sofia Machado,
Alexandra Gaspar,
Fernanda Borges,
Daniel Chavarria
Affiliations
Lisa Sequeira
CIQUP-IMS—Centro de Investigação em Química da Universidade do Porto, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, R. Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Sofia Benfeito
CIQUP-IMS—Centro de Investigação em Química da Universidade do Porto, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, R. Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Carlos Fernandes
CIQUP-IMS—Centro de Investigação em Química da Universidade do Porto, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, R. Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Inês Lima
CIQUP-IMS—Centro de Investigação em Química da Universidade do Porto, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, R. Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Joana Peixoto
CIQUP-IMS—Centro de Investigação em Química da Universidade do Porto, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, R. Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Catarina Alves
CIQUP-IMS—Centro de Investigação em Química da Universidade do Porto, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, R. Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Cláudia Sofia Machado
CIQUP-IMS—Centro de Investigação em Química da Universidade do Porto, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, R. Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Alexandra Gaspar
CIQUP-IMS—Centro de Investigação em Química da Universidade do Porto, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, R. Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Fernanda Borges
CIQUP-IMS—Centro de Investigação em Química da Universidade do Porto, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, R. Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Daniel Chavarria
CIQUP-IMS—Centro de Investigação em Química da Universidade do Porto, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, R. Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are a set of progressive, chronic, and incurable diseases characterized by the gradual loss of neurons, culminating in the decline of cognitive and/or motor functions. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are the most common NDs and represent an enormous burden both in terms of human suffering and economic cost. The available therapies for AD and PD only provide symptomatic and palliative relief for a limited period and are unable to modify the diseases’ progression. Over the last decades, research efforts have been focused on developing new pharmacological treatments for these NDs. However, to date, no breakthrough treatment has been discovered. Hence, the development of disease-modifying drugs able to halt or reverse the progression of NDs remains an unmet clinical need. This review summarizes the major hallmarks of AD and PD and the drugs available for pharmacological treatment. It also sheds light on potential directions that can be pursued to develop new, disease-modifying drugs to treat AD and PD, describing as representative examples some advances in the development of drug candidates targeting oxidative stress and adenosine A2A receptors.
