Title:The Anti-Inflammatory Role of Minocycline in Alzheimer´s Disease
Volume: 13
Issue: 12
Author(s): J. Budni, M. L. Garcez, J. de Medeiros, E. Cassaro, T. Bellettini-Santos, F. Mina and J. Quevedo
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Alzheimer's disease, AD treatment, cytokine, minocycline, neuroinflammation, microglial activation.
Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder where the main risk factor is
age, since its incidence increases dramatically after the age of 60. It is the most common form of dementia,
and is accompanied by memory loss and cognitive impairment. Although AD was discovered
over a century ago, the only drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in its
treatment are four cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine. However, these drugs are not fully effective
in the treatment of AD. Therefore, the incessant search for new methods of treating AD continues,
with the hope of improving both the effectiveness of therapies and the quality of life for patients
suffering with AD. Current evidence suggests that the antibiotic minocycline could be a potential
therapeutic drug for use in the treatment of AD due to its anti-neuroinflammatory effects. Minocycline
is a tetracycline derivative that combines an anti-inflammatory property that is capable of
crossing the blood brain barrier with neuroprotective properties that work by limiting inflammation
and oxidative stress. Several studies have established the presence of inflammatory markers in the
brains of patients suffering with AD, including elevated levels of cytokines/chemokines and microgliosis
in damaged regions. Cytokines have been associated with increased tau phosphorylation and
decreased levels of synaptophysin, establishing their roles in the cytoskeletal and synaptic alterations
that take place in AD. Therefore, pharmacological approaches that allow for the discovery and development
of new anti-inflammatory agents such as minocycline will be welcomed in the continuing
struggle against AD. Considering these facts, this review will discuss the anti-inflammatory mechanisms
underlying the neuroprotective effects of minocycline as a novel therapeutic approach for the
treatment of AD.
