Neuroprotective effects of statins and cyclodextrins: review and potential role in dementia treatment

SUMMARY Dementia is a progressive and irreversible deterioration in cognition that has a significant impact on the person’s activities of daily living and quality of life. Currently, there is no curative treatment for dementia, and the treatments used in clinical practice have limited therapeutic reach. We begin this descriptive review with a discussion of apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) and its role in the pathogenesis of dementia. We consider the molecular involvement of statins and why they are no longer clinically indicated in mild cognitive impairment or mild to moderate dementia. We then explore the evidence regarding the effects of statins and cyclodextrins on apoE4, presenting evidence in support of and against their neuroprotective effects in cognitive impairment. Although the studies on cyclodextrins have all been on animals, they provide a strong background for a potential research hypothesis for future clinical trials in the treatment of dementia.