Computational Modeling Of Anti Aggregation Effect Of Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs In Alzheimer S Amyloidogenesis

Alzheimer disease causes the gradual deterioration of cognitive function, including severe memory loss and impairments in abstraction and reasoning. Understanding the complex changes that occur in the brain as the disease progressesincluding the accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tanglesis critical for the development of successful therapeutic approaches. Written and edited by leading experts in the field, this collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine includes contributions covering all aspects of Alzheimer disease, from our current molecular understanding to therapeutic agents that could be used to treat and, ultimately, prevent it. Contributors discuss the biochemistry and cell biology of amyloid -protein precursor (APP), tau, presenilin, -secretase, and apolipoprotein E and their involvement in Alzheimer disease. They also review the clinical, neuropathological, imaging, and biomarker phenotypes of the disease; genetic alterations associated with the disorder; and epidemiological insights into its causation and pathogenesis. This comprehensive volume, which includes discussions of therapeutic strategies that are currently used or under development, is a vital reference for neurobiologists, cell biologists, pathologists, and other scientists pursuing the biological basis of Alzheimer disease, as well as investigators, clinicians, and students interested in its pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention.

Neurodegenerative diseases are severe, rapidly developing, and currently incurable conditions that result in progressive degeneration and the death of neurons. This causes dementia, movement problems, and essentially loss of personal identity. Amyloids attempts to answer the following questions: (1) why do we develop these severe neurodegenerative diseases? (2) what histological and physiological changes are observed upon development and progression of these diseases? and (3) how can we treat amyloid-associated diseases?

This book represents the fourth ina series of international conferences related to Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's (PO) diseases. The first one took place in EHat, Israel in 1985; the second in Kyoto, Japan, in 1989; and the third in Chicago, IL, USA in 1993. This book incorporates the proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Pro gress in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases, held in EHat, Israel, on May 18-23, 1997. This Conference was the 41st in the series of annual OHOLO Conferences sponsored by the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR). It was also conducted under the aus pices of the Alzheimer's Association Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute, USA. The Conference was attended by 550 participants from 28 countries, representing a broad spectrum of research interests; and included a well-balanced representation from aca demia, clinical institutions and pharmaceutical industry. The four-and-one-half day meeting served as an excellent medium for surveying the current preclinical and clinical develop ments in AD, PO, and other related disorders. The scientific program was divided into 24 oral sessions and daily poster sessions. The conference culminated in a round table discus sion. There were 122 talks and 161 posters. This book incorporates a combination of both.

These past few years have witnessed a revolution in our understanding of microglia, especially since their roles in the healthy central nervous system (CNS) have started to unravel. These cells were shown to actively maintain health, in concert with neurons and other types of CNS cells, providing further insight into their involvement with diseases. Edited by two pioneers in the field, Marie-Ève Tremblay and Amanda Sierra, Microglia in health and disease aims to share with the broader scientific community some of the recent discoveries in microglia research, from a broad perspective, with a collection of 19 chapters from 52 specialists working in 11 countries across 5 continents. To set microglia on the stage, the book begins by explaining briefly who they are, what they do in the healthy and diseased CNS, and how they can be studied. The first section describes in more details their physiological roles in the maturation, function, and plasticity of the CNS, across development, adolescence, adulthood, neuropathic pain, addiction, and aging. The second section focuses on their implication in pathological conditions impairing the quality of life: neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, AIDS, and multiple sclerosis; and in leading causes of death: ischemia and stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, as well as trauma and injury.

Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, are the most common pathologies of the central nervous system currently without a cure. They share common molecular and cellular characteristics, including protein misfolding, mitochondrial dysfunction, glutamate toxicity, dysregulation of calcium homeostasis, oxidative stress, inflammation, and ageing, which contribute to neuronal death. Efforts to treat these diseases are often limited by their multifactorial etiology. Natural products, thanks to their multitarget activities, are considered promising alternatives for the treatment of neurodegeneration. This book deals with two different forms of natural products: extracts and isolated compounds. The study of the bioactivity of the extracts is extremely important as many studies have demonstrated the synergistic effect of the combination of different natural products. On the other hand, the investigation of the activity of specifically isolated natural products can be also important to understand their cellular and molecular mechanisms and to define the specific bioactive components in extracts or foods. This book can be considered an important contribution to knowledge of the neuroprotective effect of natural products and presents a great deal of information, related to both the benefits but also the limitations of their use in counteracting neurodegeneration.

Design of Hybrid Molecules for Drug Development reviews the principles, advantages, and limitations involved with designing these groundbreaking compounds. Beginning with an introduction to hybrid molecule design and background as to their need, the book goes on to explore a range of important hybrids, with hybrids containing natural products, molecules containing NO- and H2S-donors, dual-acting compounds acting as receptor ligands and enzyme inhibitors, and the design of photoresponsive drugs all discussed. Drawing on practical case studies, the hybridization of molecules for development as treatments for a number of key diseases is then outlined, including the design of hybrids for Alzheimer's, cancer, and malaria. With its cutting-edge reviews of breaking developments in this exciting field, the book offers a novel approach for all those working in the design, development, and administration of drugs for a range of debilitating disorders. Highlights an approach unimpaired by the limitations of the classical search for lead structures - one of the core problems in modern drug development processes, making the content of high relevance for both academic and non-academic drug development processes Pulls together research and design techniques in a novel way to give researchers the best possible platform from which to review the approaches and techniques applied Compares the advantages and disadvantages of these compounds Includes the very latest developments, such as photoactivatable and photo-responsive drugs

Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed of intracellular aggregates of tau protein are a key neuropathological feature of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases, collectively termed tauopathies. The abundance of NFTs has been reported to correlate positively with the severity of cognitive impairment in AD. However, accumulating evidences derived from studies of experimental models have identified that NFTs themselves may not be neurotoxic. Now, many of tau researchers are seeking a “toxic” form of tau protein. Moreover, it was suggested that a “toxic” tau was capable to seed aggregation of native tau protein and to propagate in a prion-like manner. However, the exact neurotoxic tau species remain unclear. Because mature tangles seem to be non-toxic component, “tau oligomers” as the candidate of “toxic” tau have been investigated for more than one decade. In this topic, we will discuss our consensus of “tau oligomers” because the term of “tau oligomers” [e.g. dimer (disulfide bond-dependent or independent), multimer (more than dimer), granular (definition by EM or AFM) and maybe small filamentous aggregates] has been used by each researchers definition. From a biochemical point of view, tau protein has several unique characteristics such as natively unfolded conformation, thermo-stability, acid-stability, and capability of post-translational modifications. Although tau protein research has been continued for a long time, we are still missing the mechanisms of NFT formation. It is unclear how the conversion is occurred from natively unfolded protein to abnormally mis-folded protein. It remains unknown how tau protein can be formed filaments [e.g. paired helical filament (PHF), straight filament and twisted filament] in cells albeit in vitro studies confirmed tau self-assembly by several inducing factors. Researchers are still debating whether tau oligomerization is primary event rather than tau phosphorylation in the tau pathogenesis. Inhibition of either tau phosphorylation or aggregation has been investigated for the prevention of tauopathies, however, it will make an irrelevant result if we don’t know an exact target of neurotoxicity. It is a time to have a consensus of definition, terminology and methodology for the identification of “tau oligomers”.

In all organs of the body, proteases have critical roles to play both in normal development and functioning and in disease states. The brain is no exception to this, with proteases having emerging roles in synaptic plasticity, memory, neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and prion diseases, ischemia and traumatic brain injury, inflammatory and infectious diseases, and tumor progression. Proteases in the Brain brings together a wide range of topics under this central theme and highlights the large number of proteases involved in these normal and disease processes. Proteases in the Brain reviews the role and regulation of proteases in, Alzheimer’s disease, brain ischemia and traumatic brain injury, human glioma, inflammatory and infectious diseases of the central nervous system, metabolism of the prion protein, modulating synaptic activity, multiple sclerosis, neuronal plasticity and memory consolidation, Parkinson’s disease, processing, conversion and inactivation of neuropeptides. Proteases in the Brain is a timely and useful source of information both for those well-versed in the role of proteases in the brain, and for those who are beginning to realize the important role of this family of enzymes in brain function and dysfunction.