The multi-faceted impact of methamphetamine on Alzheimer's disease: From a triggering role to a possible therapeutic use.

The multi-faceted impact of methamphetamine on Alzheimer's disease: From a triggering role to a possible therapeutic use. Ageing Res Rev. 2020 Apr 15;:101062 Authors: Shukla M, Vincent B Abstract Although it has been initially synthesized for therapeutic purposes and currently FDA-approved and prescribed for obesity, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, narcolepsy and depression, methamphetamine became a recreational drug that is nowadays massively manufactured illegally. Because it is a powerful and extremely addictive psychotropic agent, its abuse has turned out to become a major health problem worldwide. Importantly, the numerous effects triggered by this drug induce neurotoxicity in the brain ultimately leading to serious neurological impairments, tissue damage and neuropsychological disturbances that are reminiscent to most of the symptoms observed in Alzheimer's disease and other pathological manifestations in aging brain. In this context, there is a growing number of compelling evidence linking methamphetamine abuse with a higher probability of developing premature Alzheimer's disease and consequent neurodegeneration. This review proposes to establish a broad assessment of the effects that this drug can generate at the cellular and molecular levels in connection with the development of the age-related Alzheimer's disease. Altogether, the objective is to warn against the long-term effects that methamphetamine abuse may con...
Source: Ageing Research Reviews - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Tags: Ageing Res Rev Source Type: research