Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Biotin in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Convergent Mechanistic Insights from Preclinical Models to Clinical Perspectives.
Narrative review showing that alpha‑lipoic acid and biotin converge on mitochondrial, redox, and inflammatory pathways with consistent preclinical benefit but heterogeneous and limited clinical evidence across neurodegenerative diseases.
What the AI sees
Narrative review showing that alpha‑lipoic acid and biotin converge on mitochondrial, redox, and inflammatory pathways with consistent preclinical benefit but heterogeneous and limited clinical evidence across neurodegenerative diseases.
Research significance
Provides a rationale for repurposing alpha‑lipoic acid (and to a lesser extent biotin) in Parkinson's disease based on mitochondrial and antioxidant mechanisms and safety profile, while highlighting the need for well‑designed PD‑specific clinical trials to establish dosing and efficacy.
Source abstract
BACKGROUND: Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, represent a major global health burden and share convergent pathogenic mechanisms, such as mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, calcium imbalance, and neuronal loss. Despite advances in symptomatic management, effective disease-modifying therapies remain limited. OBJECTIVES: This review aims to critically synthesize mechanistic, preclinical, and clinical evidence on α-lipoic acid and biotin as candidate neuroprotective agents in neurodegenerative diseases, with emphasis on shared signaling pathways, therapeutic potential, generally favorable safety profiles, and translational limitations. METHODS: A narrative and integrative review was conducted, encompassing mechanistic studies, preclinical experimental models, and clinical trials and observational studies evaluating ALA and biotin in neurodegenerative diseases. The evidence was qualitatively analyzed with attention to biological plausibility, consistency across models, and clinical relevance. RESULTS: ALA and biotin modulate key cellular pathways implicated in neurodegeneration, including mitochondrial metabolism, redox homeostasis, inflammatory signaling, and neurovascular function. Preclinical studies consistently report beneficial effects on mitochondrial efficiency, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammatory markers. In contrast, clinical evidence remains heterogeneous, with more extensive evaluation of biotin in progressive multiple sclerosis and more limited or exploratory findings for ALA across neurodegenerative disorders. CONCLUSIONS: ALA and biotin exhibit mechanistic convergence across pathways relevant to neurodegeneration and generally favorable safety profiles. Although current evidence supports their biological plausibility as adjunctive or exploratory therapeutic strategies, clinical outcomes remain inconsistent and appear to be influenced by dosing regimens, disease stage at intervention, and endpoint selection. Well-designed clinical studies are required to define their efficacy, optimal dosing, and disease-specific applicability.