Ambroxol: A potential therapeutics against neurodegeneration
Prajwal Dhanve, Punita Aggarwal, Sourabh Choure, Devendra K. Dhaked, Sugato Banerjee
Abstract
Ambroxol hydrochloride is a pharmacological chaperone approved by FDA as an expectorant. Currently, it is used as an antitussive and anti-asthmatic agent. Besides mucolytic properties, ambroxol has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anesthetic properties. Its effects on the central nervous system (CNS) are currently being explored. Ambroxol has been reported to inhibit microglial activation and decreases proinflammatory cytokines in the brain. It crosses the blood-brain barrier and may be neuroprotective in Parkinson's, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Gaucher disease, neuroinflammation, and spinal cord injury. Here we review the CNS effects of ambroxol and its therapeutic potential against neurodegenerative disorders.