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Is riluzole a new drug for Alzheimer's disease?
Author(s) -
Whitcomb Daniel J.,
Molnár Elek
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/jnc.13260
Subject(s) - riluzole , drug , alzheimer's disease , medicine , neuroscience , disease , amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , tacrine , pharmacology , psychology , chemistry , acetylcholinesterase , biochemistry , enzyme
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.