phenserine

Phenserine is a synthetic small molecule and a highly selective, reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitor developed primarily for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. It is structurally related to physostigmine and acts by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (AChE), thereby increasing acetylcholine levels in the brain to enhance memory and cognition. In addition to its cholinergic activity, phenserine exhibits non-cholinergic mechanisms including reduction of beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) translation and subsequent amyloid-beta peptide formation—key pathological features in Alzheimer's disease. Phenserine also demonstrates neuroprotective effects by increasing neurotrophic factors such as BDNF, upregulating anti-apoptotic proteins like Bcl-2, reducing pro-apoptotic markers (e.g., GFAP), suppressing neuroinflammation via microglial modulation, restoring blood-brain barrier integrity disrupted by MMP-9 activity, and neutralizing toxic alpha-synuclein aggregates relevant to Parkinson's disease pathology[1][2][4]. The drug was originally developed by Axonyx under license from the National Institute on Aging[5].

Other names

(-)-eseroline phenylcarbamatephenylcarbamate of physostigmine