Title:Foresee Novel Targets for Alzheimer’s Disease by Investigating
Repurposed Drugs
Volume: 22
Issue: 8
Author(s): Kritie Agarwal, Deepshikha Pande Katare and Ruchi Jakhmola-Mani*
Affiliation:
- Proteomics and Translational Research Lab, Centre for Medical Biotechnology, Amity Institute of Biotechnology,
Amity University, Noida 201301, India
Keywords:
Alzheimer’s disease, drug repurposing, neurotransmitter regulation, IL-3 regulation, kinase cascades, drugs.
Abstract:
Background: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most rampant neurodegenerative disorder
which has caused havoc worldwide. More than a century has passed since the first case of AD was reported,
but still, no stable treatment is known to humanity. The available medications only provide
temporary relief and are not a cure for the disease. The hunt for advanced techniques in drug development
has paved the way for drug repurposing, i.e., repositioning or reutilizing drugs as an innovative
approach.
Methodology: Several drugs which were repurposed for AD were collected by following PRISMA
2020 systemic review. Databases like PubMed, ScienceDirect, JSTOR, and SciELO were used for data
extraction. Further, the Drugbank database was used to download all the identified drugs. Later, the
Swiss Target Prediction tool was used to identify protein receptors for these drugs and the biological
pathway followed by them.
Results: Drugs like Zileuton, Salbutamol, Baricitinib, Carmustine, Paclitaxel, and Nilotinib were observed
to be involved in regulation of neurotransmitters. Similarly, Metformin, Liraglutide, UDCA,
and Bexarotene are involved in protein kinase cascades which also is one of the prime processes in
metabolic disorders like AD. Furthermore, drugs like Rosiglitazone, Pioglitazone, and Lonafarnib are
involved in interleukin-3 biosynthetic processes, which is again one of the most important processes
studied in AD treatment.
Conclusion: The study concluded that the reviewed drugs that follow similar biological and molecular
processes could be repurposed for AD if chosen judiciously with current medications and thus, drug
repurposing is a promising approach that can be utilized to find a cure for AD within a brief time and
fewer resources compared to de novo drug synthesis. Although certain loopholes still need to be
worked upon, the technique has great prospects. Furthermore, in silico methods can be utilized to justify
the findings and identify the best drug candidate.
