Memantine: Updating a rare success story in pro-cognitive therapeutics

Parisa Karimi Tari; Chris G Parsons; Graham L Collingridge; Gerhard Rammes

doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109737

Memantine: Updating a rare success story in pro-cognitive therapeutics

Neuropharmacology. 2024 Feb 15:244:109737. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109737. Epub 2023 Oct 11.

Authors

Parisa Karimi Tari¹, Chris G Parsons², Graham L Collingridge³, Gerhard Rammes⁴

Affiliations

¹ Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada.
² Galimedix Therapeutics, Inc., 2704 Calvend Lane, Kensington, 20895, MD, USA.
³ Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada; TANZ Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada. Electronic address: collingridge@lunenfeld.ca.
⁴ Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine of the Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, 22, 81675, Munich, Germany. Electronic address: g.rammes@tum.de.

PMID: 37832633
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109737

Abstract

The great potential for NMDA receptor modulators as druggable targets in neurodegenerative disorders has been met with limited success. Considered one of the rare exceptions, memantine has consistently demonstrated restorative and prophylactic properties in many AD models. In clinical trials memantine slows the decline in cognitive performance associated with AD. Here, we provide an overview of the basic properties including pharmacological targets, toxicology and cellular effects of memantine. Evidence demonstrating reductions in molecular, physiological and behavioural indices of AD-like impairments associated with memantine treatment are also discussed. This represents both an extension and homage to Dr. Chris Parson's considerable contributions to our fundamental understanding of a success story in the AD treatment landscape.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Learning and memory; Memantine; NMDA receptor; Neuroprotection; Synaptic plasticity.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Alzheimer Disease* / drug therapy
Cognition
Humans
Memantine* / pharmacology
Memantine* / therapeutic use
Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate

Substances

Memantine
Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate