Role of melatonin in Alzheimer's disease: From preclinical studies to novel melatonin-based therapies.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective mechanisms and clinical effects of melatonin and melatonin-based therapies for Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Results Summary
Melatonin demonstrated neuroprotective effects in preclinical studies, including reducing amyloid burden, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation, and improving behavior in animal models. Clinical studies showed benefits in sleep, cognition, and psychiatric symptoms in patients with mild cognitive impairment and AD.
Population
Patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, as well as animal models of AD.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
melatonin therapy | decrease | amyloid-related burden | preclinical studies | - | alleviation | #1 |
melatonin therapy | decrease | neurofibrillary tangle accumulation | preclinical studies | - | alleviation | #2 |
melatonin therapy | decrease | oxidative stress | preclinical studies | - | alleviation | #3 |
melatonin therapy | decrease | neuroinflammation | preclinical studies | - | alleviation | #4 |
melatonin therapy | decrease | apoptosis | preclinical studies | - | alleviation | #5 |
melatonin therapy | decrease | mitochondrial dysfunction | preclinical studies | - | alleviation | #6 |
melatonin therapy | decrease | impaired neuroplasticity and neurotransmission | preclinical studies | - | alleviation | #7 |
melatonin | increase | behavior | animal models of AD | - | beneficial effects | #8 |
melatonin | neutral | sleep | patients with mild cognitive impairment and AD | - | clinical effects | #9 |
melatonin | neutral | cognition | patients with mild cognitive impairment and AD | - | clinical effects | #10 |
melatonin | neutral | behavior | patients with mild cognitive impairment and AD | - | clinical effects | #11 |
melatonin | neutral | psychiatric symptoms | patients with mild cognitive impairment and AD | - | clinical effects | #12 |
melatonin | neutral | electroencephalography findings | patients with mild cognitive impairment and AD | - | clinical effects | #13 |
melatonin | neutral | molecular biomarkers | patients with mild cognitive impairment and AD | - | clinical effects | #14 |
Melatonin and novel melatonin-based therapies such as melatonin-containing hybrid molecules, melatonin analogues, and melatonin derivatives have been investigated as potential therapeutics against Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. In this review, we examine the developmental trends of melatonin therapies for AD from 1997 to 2021. We then highlight the neuroprotective mechanisms of melatonin therapy derived from preclinical studies. These mechanisms include the alleviation of amyloid-related burden, neurofibrillary tangle accumulation, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, and impaired neuroplasticity and neurotransmission. We further illustrate the beneficial effects of melatonin on behavior in animal models of AD. Next, we discuss the clinical effects of melatonin on sleep, cognition, behavior, psychiatric symptoms, electroencephalography findings, and molecular biomarkers in patients with mild cognitive impairment and AD. We then explore the effectiveness of novel melatonin-based therapies. Lastly, we discuss the limitations of current melatonin therapies for AD and suggest two emerging research themes for future study.