Novel approaches to diagnosis and therapy in neurodegenerative diseases

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are a large class of pathologies that include Alzheimer disease (AD), Parkinson disease (PD) and many other forms of senile dementias. The unique transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), known as prion diseases, are among the rarest of these disorders. NDs belong to age-related disorders, thus their incidence and prevalence are estimated to increase dramatically as the population ages. So far, no early diagnostic tool has been developed. NDs are usually diagnosed at very advanced stages, when neurological symptoms are evident. Conventional therapies are directed at treating the neurological symptoms, but have no effect on disease progression. Thus, the development of novel early diagnostic tools and effective therapies for NDs today is one of the major scientific challenges. Recent evidence points at a common mechanism of pathogenesis in all NDs, which involves abnormal aggregation and deposition of misfolded proteins in the central nervous system (CNS). Furthermore, recent studies suggest that these aggregates may spread among cells in a prion-like manner, leading to cytotoxicity and cell death. These facts suggest that novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to different neurodegenerative disorders may share similar characteristics. Here, we provide an overview of the most advanced and modern techniques in use to diagnose NDs, and of the various attempts at finding an effective cure for these ever increasing disorders.