Is riluzole a new drug for Alzheimer's disease?

Abstract

This Editorial highlights a study by Hunsberger et al. (2015) in the current issue of Journal of Neurochemistry, in which the authors explore the effects of riluzole (R) treatment on tau-P301L transgenic mice. The authors employed a comprehensive analysis of possible restorative effects of the drug by examining glutamate levels in subregions of the hippocampus, expression of tau and its hyper-phosphorylated forms, and memory function using behavioral tests. The authors report a simultaneous reduction in glutamate reuptake and an increase in glutamate release in the tau-P301L model, both of which are ameliorated with riluzole treatment. The authors' findings have implications for our understanding of synaptic transmission mechanisms also associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology.