Signal pathways in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease with traditional Chinese medicine

Aim of the review: This study aimed to reveal the classical signal pathways and important potential targets of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD), and provide support for further investigation on TCM and its active ingredients. Materials and methods: Literature survey was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, CNKI, and other databases, with Alzheimer's disease, traditional Chinese medicine, medicinal herb, Chinese herb, and natural plant as the primary keywords. Results: TCM could modulate signal pathways related to AD pathological progression, including NF-kappa B, Nrf2, JAK/STAT, ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, autophagy-lysosome pathway-related AMPK/mTOR, GSK-3/mTOR, and PI3K/Akt/mTOR, as well as SIRT1 and PPAR alpha pathway. It could regulate crosstalk between pathways through a multitarget, thus maintaining chronic inflammatory interaction balance, inhibiting oxidative stress damage, regulating ubiquitin-proteasome system function, modulating autophagy, and eventually improving cognitive impairment in patients with AD. Conclusion: TCM could be multilevel, multitargeted, and multifaceted to prevent and treat AD. In-depth research on the prevention and treatment of AD with TCM could provide new ideas for exploring the pathogenesis of AD and developing new anti-AD drugs.

Automated summary

Traditional Chinese medicine can modulate multiple signal pathways related to the pathological progression of Alzheimer's disease, thereby improving cognitive impairment. In-depth research on the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease with traditional Chinese medicine can provide new ideas for exploring the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and developing new anti-AD drugs.