Progressive loss of cholinergic neurons in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients results in severe memory loss and impairment of cognitive function. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a tetrameric protein that catalyzes the hydrolysis of acetylcholine.

One strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer’s patients has been to use AChE inhibitors to increase the levels of acetylcholine in the synapse, thereby enhancing cholinergic activity in the affected regions of the brain. AChE inhibitors, which increase the availability of acetylcholine in central synapses, have become the main approach to symptomatic treatment. Clinical studies have indeed shown that patients with mild to moderate AD benefit from treatment with certain AChE inhibitors and muscarinic agonists. These agents do not reverse the progression of the disease, but they do contribute to modest improvements in memory, thinking, and reasoning skills in AD patients.