Commentary Cell Science Reviews Vol 5 No 4 ISSN 1742-8130

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor: A therapeutic approach for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

The most widely accepted theory of Alzheimer's disease is the amyloid hypothesis, which states that amyloid-beta is at the top of a cascade of reactions leading to synaptic loss and hence dementia. How increased amyloid-beta leads to synaptic loss, however, is uncertain. Mounting evidence implicates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a molecule required for the survival and function of brain neurons involved in learning, memory and cognitive function, in this cascade downstream of amyloid-beta. A recent article in Nature Medicine confirms the importance of BDNF in this pathway. BDNF administration to a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease and to rodent and primate models of age-related cognitive impairment demonstrated rescue of synaptic dysfunction and learning and memory impairment, thus establishing the potential of BDNF as a novel therapeutic for Alzheimer's disease.

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