Is riluzole a new drug for Alzheimer's disease?

Abstract

This Editorial highlights a study by Hunsberger et al. (2015) in the current issue of Journal of Neurochemistry, in which the authors explore the effects of riluzole (R) treatment on tau-P301L transgenic mice. The authors employed a comprehensive analysis of possible restorative effects of the drug by examining glutamate levels in subregions of the hippocampus, expression of tau and its hyper-phosphorylated forms, and memory function using behavioral tests. The authors report a simultaneous reduction in glutamate reuptake and an increase in glutamate release in the tau-P301L model, both of which are ameliorated with riluzole treatment. The authors' findings have implications for our understanding of synaptic transmission mechanisms also associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology. This Editorial highlights a study by Hunsberger et al. (2015) in the current issue of Journal of Neurochemistry, in which the authors explore the effects of riluzole (R) treatment on tau-P301L transgenic mice. The authors employed a comprehensive analysis of possible restorative effects of the drug by examining glutamate levels in subregions of the hippocampus, expression of tau and its hyper-phosphorylated forms, and memory function using behavioral tests. The authors report a simultaneous reduction in glutamate reuptake and an increase in glutamate release in the tau-P301L model, both of which are ameliorated with riluzole treatment. The authors' findings have implications for our understanding of synaptic transmission mechanisms also associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology. Read the full article 'Riluzole rescues glutamate alterations, cognitive deficits, and tau pathology associated with P301L tau expression' on page 381.