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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Pharmacology

Treatment of vascular dementia based on neuroprotection and neural repair strategies: from pathophysiology to natural products

  • Qinzhe Luo1,2,3
  • Zhaoxing Li3,4
  • Yuyuan Liao1,2,3
  • Wenshuo Chen1
  • Zhihong Xu1
  • Xin You1,2,3
  • Guannan Xue1,2,3
  • Yan Duan1,2,3
  • Juan Li1,2,3
  • Shunxiang Li1,2,3
4 affiliations
  1. 1School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine
  2. 2Hunan Engineering Technology Research Center for Bioactive Substance Discovery of Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine
  3. 3Hunan Province Sino-US International Joint Research Center for Therapeutic Drugs of Senile Degenerative Diseases, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine
  4. 4School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University
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Abstract

Vascular dementia (VaD) is a heterogeneous cognitive disorder associated with cerebrovascular pathology and persistent vascular dysfunction. Because effective disease-modifying therapies remain limited, natural products have attracted interest as potential interventions for the complex pathology of VaD. This review examines their effects from two complementary perspectives: neuroprotection and neural repair. Experimental studies indicate that natural products can influence several interconnected processes, including redox imbalance, neuroinflammation, cell survival, blood–brain barrier dysfunction, vascular remodeling, neurogenesis, and synaptic plasticity. However, the available evidence varies considerably among isolated compounds, botanical extracts, and herbal formulations. Some isolated compounds have been supported by relatively coherent relationships between molecular targets, tissue responses, and functional outcomes, whereas evidence from clinical studies remains much more limited. We therefore consider the current mechanistic evidence together with the major challenges in pharmacokinetics, quality control, and clinical translation.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{luo2026treatment,
  title = {{Treatment of vascular dementia based on neuroprotection and neural repair strategies: from pathophysiology to natural products}},
  author = {Qinzhe Luo and Zhaoxing Li and Yuyuan Liao and Wenshuo Chen and Zhihong Xu and Xin You and Guannan Xue and Yan Duan and Juan Li and Shunxiang Li},
  journal = {Frontiers in Pharmacology},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fphar.2026.1942636},
  url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1942636/full},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Treatment of vascular dementia based on neuroprotection and neural repair strategies: from pathophysiology to natural products
AU  - Qinzhe Luo
AU  - Zhaoxing Li
AU  - Yuyuan Liao
AU  - Wenshuo Chen
AU  - Zhihong Xu
AU  - Xin You
AU  - Guannan Xue
AU  - Yan Duan
AU  - Juan Li
AU  - Shunxiang Li
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/20
JO  - Frontiers in Pharmacology
DO  - 10.3389/fphar.2026.1942636
UR  - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1942636/full
AB  - Vascular dementia (VaD) is a heterogeneous cognitive disorder associated with cerebrovascular pathology and persistent vascular dysfunction. Because effective disease-modifying therapies remain limited, natural products have attracted interest as potential interventions for the complex pathology of VaD. This review examines their effects from two complementary perspectives: neuroprotection and neural repair. Experimental studies indicate that natural products can influence several interconnected processes, including redox imbalance, neuroinflammation, cell survival, blood–brain barrier dysfunction, vascular remodeling, neurogenesis, and synaptic plasticity. However, the available evidence varies considerably among isolated compounds, botanical extracts, and herbal formulations. Some isolated compounds have been supported by relatively coherent relationships between molecular targets, tissue responses, and functional outcomes, whereas evidence from clinical studies remains much more limited. We therefore consider the current mechanistic evidence together with the major challenges in pharmacokinetics, quality control, and clinical translation.
SN  - 1663-9812
ER  -