Multi-target drugs as a new strategy against neurodegenerative diseases

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases are multifactorial in origin, i.e., their etiology involves a large number of interconnected pathological processes. As a consequence, disease progression cannot be efficiently stopped by modulating a single target, as done with current therapies. Several approaches attempt to overcome this limitation, and the most promising one is based on the use of multitarget drugs. This approach seeks molecules that are rationally designed to modulate several therapeutic targets associated to a particular disease. In this review article, the foundations of the design of multitarget drugs are summarized and illustrated through examples taken from work carried out in the group of the author. The main targets studied are proteins involved in the Nrf2-ARE pathway, calcium transport proteins and rho-kinase 2. Keywords: multitarget drugs; Nrf2-ARE pathway; calcium transport proteins; rho-kinase 2