scholarly journals The Role of Mitochondria in Alzheimer's disease: Neurodegenerative Disease and Future Therapeutic Options

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 01-03
Author(s):  
Ruth Angale
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Neuronal Loss ◽  
Ache Inhibitors ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Mitochondrial Oxidative Damage

Mitochondria are cytoplasmic organelles responsible for life and death. Extensive evidence from animal and clinical studies suggests that mitochondria play a critical role in aging, cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease. Several lines of research suggest that mitochondrial oxidative damage is an important cellular change in most late-onset neurodegenerative diseases. Further, emerging evidence suggests that structural changes in mitochondria, including increased mitochondrial fragmentation and decreased mitochondrial fusion, are critical factors associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death in aging and age-related diseases. In addition, epigenetic factors and lifestyle activities may contribute to selective disease susceptibility for each of these diseases. This paper discusses research that has elucidated features of mitochondria that are associated with cellular dysfunction in aging and neurodegenerative diseases. This paper also discusses mitochondrial abnormalities and potential mitochondrial therapeutics in AD. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by neuronal loss and gradual cognitive impairment. AD is the leading cause of dementia worldwide and the incidence is increasing rapidly, with diagnoses expected to triple by the year 2050. Impaired cholinergic transmission is a major role player in the rapid deterioration associated with AD, primarily as a result of increased acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the AD brain, responsible for reducing the amount of acetylcholine (ACh). Current drug therapies, known as AChE inhibitors (AChEIs), target this heightened level of AChE in an attempt to slow disease progression. AChEIs have only showed success in the treatment of mild to moderate AD symptoms, with the glutamate inhibitor memantine being the most common drug prescribed for the management of severe AD.

scholarly journals Glycolytic Metabolism, Brain Resilience, and Alzheimer’s Disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Zhang ◽  
Nadine Alshakhshir ◽  
Liqin Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Brain Aging ◽  
Redox Homeostasis ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Glycolytic Flux ◽  
Glycolytic Metabolism ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Brain Resilience

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of age-related dementia. Despite decades of research, the etiology and pathogenesis of AD are not well understood. Brain glucose hypometabolism has long been recognized as a prominent anomaly that occurs in the preclinical stage of AD. Recent studies suggest that glycolytic metabolism, the cytoplasmic pathway of the breakdown of glucose, may play a critical role in the development of AD. Glycolysis is essential for a variety of neural activities in the brain, including energy production, synaptic transmission, and redox homeostasis. Decreased glycolytic flux has been shown to correlate with the severity of amyloid and tau pathology in both preclinical and clinical AD patients. Moreover, increased glucose accumulation found in the brains of AD patients supports the hypothesis that glycolytic deficit may be a contributor to the development of this phenotype. Brain hyperglycemia also provides a plausible explanation for the well-documented link between AD and diabetes. Humans possess three primary variants of the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene – ApoE∗ϵ2, ApoE∗ϵ3, and ApoE∗ϵ4 – that confer differential susceptibility to AD. Recent findings indicate that neuronal glycolysis is significantly affected by human ApoE isoforms and glycolytic robustness may serve as a major mechanism that renders an ApoE2-bearing brain more resistant against the neurodegenerative risks for AD. In addition to AD, glycolytic dysfunction has been observed in other neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, strengthening the concept of glycolytic dysfunction as a common pathway leading to neurodegeneration. Taken together, these advances highlight a promising translational opportunity that involves targeting glycolysis to bolster brain metabolic resilience and by such to alter the course of brain aging or disease development to prevent or reduce the risks for not only AD but also other neurodegenerative diseases.

scholarly journals Sex-dependent effect of APOE on Alzheimer's disease and other age-related neurodegenerative disorders

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. dmm045211
Author(s):  
Julia Gamache ◽  
Young Yun ◽  
Ornit Chiba-Falek
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Careful Examination ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Female Brain ◽  
Key Factor

ABSTRACTThe importance of apolipoprotein E (APOE) in late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) has been firmly established, but the mechanisms through which it exerts its pathogenic effects remain elusive. In addition, the sex-dependent effects of APOE on LOAD risk and endophenotypes have yet to be explained. In this Review, we revisit the different aspects of APOE involvement in neurodegeneration and neurological diseases, with particular attention to sex differences in the contribution of APOE to LOAD susceptibility. We discuss the role of APOE in a broader range of age-related neurodegenerative diseases, and summarize the biological factors linking APOE to sex hormones, drawing on supportive findings from rodent models to identify major mechanistic themes underlying the exacerbation of LOAD-associated neurodegeneration and pathology in the female brain. Additionally, we list sex-by-genotype interactions identified across neurodegenerative diseases, proposing APOE variants as a shared etiology for sex differences in the manifestation of these diseases. Finally, we present recent advancements in ‘omics’ technologies, which provide a new platform for more in-depth investigations of how dysregulation of this gene affects the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Collectively, the evidence summarized in this Review highlights the interplay between APOE and sex as a key factor in the etiology of LOAD and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases. We emphasize the importance of careful examination of sex as a contributing factor in studying the underpinning genetics of neurodegenerative diseases in general, but particularly for LOAD.

scholarly journals Blocking microglial activation of reactive astrocytes is neuroprotective in models of Alzheimer’s disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jong-Sung Park ◽  
Tae-In Kam ◽  
Saebom Lee ◽  
Hyejin Park ◽  
Yumin Oh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorders ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Subcutaneous Administration ◽  
Reactive Astrocytes ◽  
Reactive Astrocyte ◽  
Spatial Learning And Memory ◽  
Neuronal Viability ◽  
Age Related

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of age-related dementia. Increasing evidence suggests that neuroinflammation mediated by microglia and astrocytes contributes to disease progression and severity in AD and other neurodegenerative disorders. During AD progression, resident microglia undergo proinflammatory activation, resulting in an increased capacity to convert resting astrocytes to reactive astrocytes. Therefore, microglia are a major therapeutic target for AD and blocking microglia-astrocyte activation could limit neurodegeneration in AD. Here we report that NLY01, an engineered exedin-4, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist, selectively blocks β-amyloid (Aβ)-induced activation of microglia through GLP-1R activation and inhibits the formation of reactive astrocytes as well as preserves neurons in AD models. In two transgenic AD mouse models (5xFAD and 3xTg-AD), repeated subcutaneous administration of NLY01 blocked microglia-mediated reactive astrocyte conversion and preserved neuronal viability, resulting in improved spatial learning and memory. Our study indicates that the GLP-1 pathway plays a critical role in microglia-reactive astrocyte associated neuroinflammation in AD and the effects of NLY01 are primarily mediated through a direct action on Aβ-induced GLP-1R+ microglia, contributing to the inhibition of astrocyte reactivity. These results show that targeting upregulated GLP-1R in microglia is a viable therapy for AD and other neurodegenerative disorders.

scholarly journals Corticotropin releasing factor-binding protein (CRF-BP) as a potential new therapeutic target in Alzheimer’s disease and stress disorders

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorien Vandael ◽  
Natalia V. Gounko
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Therapeutic Target ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Corticotropin Releasing Factor ◽  
Stress Disorders

Abstract Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia and one of the most complex human neurodegenerative diseases. Numerous studies have demonstrated a critical role of the environment in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of the disease, where daily life stress plays an important role. A lot of epigenetic studies have led to the conclusion that chronic stress and stress-related disorders play an important part in the onset of neurodegenerative disorders, and an enormous amount of research yielded valuable discoveries but has so far not led to the development of effective treatment strategies for Alzheimer’s disease. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is one of the major hormones and at the same time a neuropeptide acting in stress response. Deregulation of protein levels of CRF is involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, but little is known about the precise roles of CRF and its binding protein, CRF-BP, in neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we summarize the key evidence for and against the involvement of stress-associated modulation of the CRF system in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease and discuss how recent findings could lead to new potential treatment possibilities in Alzheimer’s disease by using CRF-BP as a therapeutic target.

O3-04-03: Age-Related Neuropathology Helps Distinguish Autosomal Dominant from Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. P291-P292
Author(s):  
Nigel J. Cairns ◽  
Richard J. Perrin ◽  
Erin E. Franklin ◽  
Benjamin D. Vincent ◽  
Michael Baxter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Autosomal Dominant ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Age Related

scholarly journals PRECISION MEDICINE - THE GOLDEN GATE FOR DETECTION, TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

2016 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
H. Hampel ◽  
S.E. O’Bryant ◽  
J.I. Castrillo ◽  
C. Ritchie ◽  
K. Rojkova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Precision Medicine ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Therapeutic Success ◽  
Preclinical Stage ◽  
Treatment And Prevention

During this decade, breakthrough conceptual shifts have commenced to emerge in the field of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) recognizing risk factors and the non-linear dynamic continuum of complex pathophysiologies amongst a wide dimensional spectrum of multi-factorial brain proteinopathies/neurodegenerative diseases. As is the case in most fields of medicine, substantial advancements in detecting, treating and preventing AD will likely evolve from the generation and implementation of a systematic precision medicine strategy. This approach will likely be based on the success found from more advanced research fields, such as oncology. Precision medicine will require integration and transfertilization across fragmented specialities of medicine and direct reintegration of Neuroscience, Neurology and Psychiatry into a continuum of medical sciences away from the silo approach. Precision medicine is biomarker-guided medicine on systems-levels that takes into account methodological advancements and discoveries of the comprehensive pathophysiological profiles of complex multi-factorial neurodegenerative diseases, such as late-onset sporadic AD. This will allow identifying and characterizing the disease processes at the asymptomatic preclinical stage, where pathophysiological and topographical abnormalities precede overt clinical symptoms by many years to decades. In this respect, the uncharted territory of the AD preclinical stage has become a major research challenge as the field postulates that early biomarker guided customized interventions may offer the best chance of therapeutic success. Clarification and practical operationalization is needed for comprehensive dissection and classification of interacting and converging disease mechanisms, description of genomic and epigenetic drivers, natural history trajectories through space and time, surrogate biomarkers and indicators of risk and progression, as well as considerations about the regulatory, ethical, political and societal consequences of early detection at asymptomatic stages. In this scenario, the integrated roles of genome sequencing, investigations of comprehensive fluid-based biomarkers and multimodal neuroimaging will be of key importance for the identification of distinct molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways in subsets of asymptomatic people at greatest risk for progression to clinical milestones due to those specific pathways. The precision medicine strategy facilitates a paradigm shift in Neuroscience and AD research and development away from the classical “one-size-fits-all” approach in drug discovery towards biomarker guided “molecularly” tailored therapy for truly effective treatment and prevention options. After the long and winding decade of failed therapy trials progress towards the holistic systems-based strategy of precision medicine may finally turn into the new age of scientific and medical success curbing the global AD epidemic.

scholarly journals Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Increases The Risk of Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease: Ultrastructural Remodeling of the Neurovascular Unit and Diabetic Gliopathy

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayden
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Neurovascular Unit ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Increased Risk

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and late-onset Alzheimer’s disease–dementia (LOAD) are increasing in global prevalence and current predictions indicate they will only increase over the coming decades. These increases may be a result of the concurrent increases of obesity and aging. T2DM is associated with cognitive impairments and metabolic factors, which increase the cellular vulnerability to develop an increased risk of age-related LOAD. This review addresses possible mechanisms due to obesity, aging, multiple intersections between T2DM and LOAD and mechanisms for the continuum of progression. Multiple ultrastructural images in female diabetic db/db models are utilized to demonstrate marked cellular remodeling changes of mural and glia cells and provide for the discussion of functional changes in T2DM. Throughout this review multiple endeavors to demonstrate how T2DM increases the vulnerability of the brain’s neurovascular unit (NVU), neuroglia and neurons are presented. Five major intersecting links are considered: i. Aging (chronic age-related diseases); ii. metabolic (hyperglycemia advanced glycation end products and its receptor (AGE/RAGE) interactions and hyperinsulinemia-insulin resistance (a linking linchpin); iii. oxidative stress (reactive oxygen–nitrogen species); iv. inflammation (peripheral macrophage and central brain microglia); v. vascular (macrovascular accelerated atherosclerosis—vascular stiffening and microvascular NVU/neuroglial remodeling) with resulting impaired cerebral blood flow.

scholarly journals The Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells 2: “TREM-ming” the Inflammatory Component Associated with Alzheimer's Disease

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Troy T. Rohn
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neurofibrillary Tangles ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Senile Plaques ◽  
Myeloid Cells ◽  
Disease Process ◽  
Age Related

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a progressive loss of memory and cognitive skills. Although much attention has been devoted concerning the contribution of the microscopic lesions, senile plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles to the disease process, inflammation has long been suspected to play a major role in the etiology of AD. Recently, a novel variant in the gene encoding the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) has been identified that has refocused the spotlight back onto inflammation as a major contributing factor in AD. Variants in TREM2 triple one's risk of developing late-onset AD. TREM2 is expressed on microglial cells, the resident macrophages in the CNS, and functions to stimulate phagocytosis on one hand and to suppress cytokine production and inflammation on the other hand. The purpose of this paper is to discuss these recent developments including the potential role that TREM2 normally plays and how loss of function may contribute to AD pathogenesis by enhancing oxidative stress and inflammation within the CNS. In this context, an overview of the pathways linking beta-amyloid, neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), oxidative stress, and inflammation will be discussed.

scholarly journals Integrated DNA methylation and gene expression profiling across multiple brain regions implicate novel genes in Alzheimer’s disease

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen A. Semick ◽  
Rahul A. Bharadwaj ◽  
Leonardo Collado-Torres ◽  
Ran Tao ◽  
Joo Heon Shin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanism ◽  
Novel Genes ◽  
Age Related

AbstractBackgroundLate-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex age-related neurodegenerative disorder that likely involves epigenetic factors. To better understand the epigenetic state associated with AD represented as variation in DNA methylation (DNAm), we surveyed 420,852 DNAm sites from neurotypical controls (N=49) and late-onset AD patients (N=24) across four brain regions (hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and cerebellum).ResultsWe identified 858 sites with robust differential methylation, collectively annotated to 772 possible genes (FDR<5%, within 10kb). These sites were overrepresented in AD genetic risk loci (p=0.00655), and nearby genes were enriched for processes related to cell-adhesion, immunity, and calcium homeostasis (FDR<5%). We analyzed corresponding RNA-seq data to prioritize 130 genes within 10kb of the differentially methylated sites, which were differentially expressed and had expression levels associated with nearby DNAm levels (p<0.05). This validated gene set includes previously reported (e.g. ANK1, DUSP22) and novel genes involved in Alzheimer’s disease, such as ANKRD30B.ConclusionsThese results highlight DNAm changes in Alzheimer’s disease that have gene expression correlates, implicating DNAm as an epigenetic mechanism underlying pathological molecular changes associated with AD. Furthermore, our framework illustrates the value of integrating epigenetic and transcriptomic data for understanding complex disease.

scholarly journals Mitophagy in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Age-Related Neurodegenerative Diseases

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Cai ◽  
Yu Young Jeong
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Cellular Energy ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Mitochondrial Turnover ◽  
Neuronal Functions ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a central aspect of aging and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington’s disease. Mitochondria are the main cellular energy powerhouses, supplying most of ATP by oxidative phosphorylation, which is required to fuel essential neuronal functions. Efficient removal of aged and dysfunctional mitochondria through mitophagy, a cargo-selective autophagy, is crucial for mitochondrial maintenance and neuronal health. Mechanistic studies into mitophagy have highlighted an integrated and elaborate cellular network that can regulate mitochondrial turnover. In this review, we provide an updated overview of the recent discoveries and advancements on the mitophagy pathways and discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying mitophagy defects in Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases, as well as the therapeutic potential of mitophagy-enhancing strategies to combat these disorders.

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