[Molecular targeted therapy in Alzheimer disease].

Alzheimer disease(AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. However, the availability of effective disease-modifying drugs for AD is currently limited. Thus, with the aging of the population, the mechanism-based therapeutics for AD is desperately needed. This article will discuss the recent advances of the development of drugs based on "amyloid hypothesis", and the results of clinical trials. The inhibitors or modulators targeting beta- and gamma-secretases that are responsible enzymes for the generation of amyloid-beta peptide(Abeta) deposited in the Abeta brain, or Abeta immunotherapy using anti-Abeta antibodies, are promising candidates. Finally potential mechanism-based adverse effects of these treatments and the strategies to tackle these problems will be discussed.