Emerging Treatments for Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Review

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), pose significant challenges to healthcare. Current treatments primarily manage symptoms without addressing underlying disease mechanisms. This review explores emerging therapeutic strategies, including disease-modifying drugs, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, and novel pharmacological approaches. Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), represent a growing global health challenge due to their progressive nature and lack of curative treatments.1 Traditional therapeutic approaches primarily focus on symptom management, but recent advancements in biomedical research have paved the way for disease-modifying treatments. This review explores emerging therapeutic strategies, including monoclonal antibodies targeting amyloid and tau proteins in AD, immunotherapies aimed at alpha-synuclein in PD, and antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapies for HD and ALS. Additionally, gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9 hold potential for correcting genetic mutations, while stem cell-based therapies offer possibilities for neuronal regeneration and neuroprotection. The role of neurotrophic factors, gut microbiome modulation, and small-molecule drugs in mitigating neurodegeneration is also discussed. Despite significant progress, challenges remain regarding long-term efficacy, safety, and accessibility of these treatments. Future directions involve a multidisciplinary approach combining precision medicine, artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery, and personalized therapeutic regimens. This review highlights recent breakthroughs and their implications for the future management of neurodegenerative diseases.