Small Molecule Drugs for Treatment of Alzheimer’s Diseases Developed on the Basis of Mechanistic Understanding of the Serotonin Receptors 4 and 6

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia affecting millions of people worldwide and currently, the only possible treatment is the use of symptomatic drugs. Therefore, there is a need for new and disease-modifying approaches. Among the numbers of biological targets which are today explored in order to prevent or limit the progression of AD, the modulation of serotonin receptors the subtype 4 and 6 receptors (5-HT4R and 5-HT6R) has received increasing attention and has become a promising target for improving cognition and limit the amyloid pathology through modulation of the neurotransmitter system. A large number of publications describing the development of ligands for these serotonin receptors have emerged, and their pharmaceutical potential is now quite evident. However, 5-HT4R and 5-HT6R functionality is much more complex than initially defined. This chapter describes recent advances in the understanding of this modulation as well as the medicinal chemistry efforts towards development of selective 5-HT4R or 5-HT6R ligands.