Disease modification and Neuroprotection in neurodegenerative disorders

Background:Disease modifying therapies(DMTs)are urgently needed for neurodegenerative diseases(NDD)such as Alzheimer’s disease(AD)and many other disorders characterized by protein aggregation and neurodegeneration.Despite advances in understanding the neurobiology of NDD,there are no approved DMTs.Discussion:Defining disease-modification is critical to drug-development programs.A DMT is an intervention that produces an enduring change in the trajectory of clinical decline of an NDD by impacting the disease processes leading to nerve cell death.A DMT is neuroprotective,and neuroprotection will result in disease modification.Disease modification can be demonstrated in clinical trials by a drug-placebo difference in clinical outcomes supported by a drug-placebo difference on biomarkers reflective of the fundamental pathophysiology of the NDD.Alternatively,disease modification can be supported by findings on a staggered start or delayed withdrawal clinical trial design.Collecting multiple biomarkers is necessary to support a comprehensive view of disease modification.Conclusion:Disease modification is established by demonstrating an enduring change in the clinical trajectory of an NDD based on intervention in the fundamental pathophysiology of the disease leading to nerve cell death.Supporting data are collected in clinical trials.Effectively defining a DMT will assist in NDD drug development programs.

Cerebrospinal fluid amyloid beta and tau proteins in atypical Parkinsonism: a review

Progressive supranuclear palsy,corticobasal degeneration,multiple system atrophy and dementia with Lewy bodies are the most common causes of atypical Parkinsonism and enter the differential diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.multiple system atrophy,dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease are synucleinopathies,whereas progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration are tauopathies.Multiple cerebrospinal fluid markers have been applied on cohorts of patients with Parkinsonism,with the aim to develop biomarkers for these disorders.Total tau(τΤ),phosphorylated tau at threonine 181(τP-181)and amyloid-beta with 42 amino acids(Aβ42)are considered classical biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease.The aim of the present study is to review the literature regarding these classical cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers in cohorts with Parkinsonism,as well as present data on novel approaches regarding analysis of these proteins.