Knowledge required for disease–modifying therapies for Alzheimer disease

Abstract

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common underlying disease of dementia. AD is a neurodegenerative disease, pathologically characterized by senile plaques composed of amyloid β–protein (Aβ), neurofibrillary tangles composed of phosphorylated tau protein, and neuronal cell death. Until now, only symptomatic treatments such as cholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA receptor antagonists have been available, but in 2024, lecanemab, the first disease–modifying therapy (DMT) that primarily targets protofibrils of Aβ, will be released, ushering in a new era of AD treatment.