Neuroprotective effects of geniposide on Alzheimer's disease pathology

A growing body of evidence has linked two of the most common aged-related diseases: type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). It has led to the notion that drugs developed for the treatment of T2DM may be beneficial in modifying the pathophysiology of AD. As a receptor agonist of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1R), which is a newer drug class to treat T2DM, geniposide shows clear effects in inhibiting pathological processes underlying AD, such as promoting neurite outgrowth. In the present article, we review the possible molecular mechanisms of geniposide to protect the brain from pathologic damages underlying AD: reducing amyloid plaques, inhibiting tau phosphorylation, preventing memory impairment and loss of synapses, reducing oxidative stress and the chronic inflammatory response, and promoting neurite outgrowth via the GLP-1R signaling pathway. In summary, the Chinese herb geniposide shows great promise as a novel treatment for AD.