Multifactorial glial responses and their contributions to AD continuum

AbstractAlzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurocognitive disorder. Various factors are intricately intertwined before clinical symptoms appear although both amyloid- β peptide (Aβ) deposition and neurofibrillary tangle formation (i.e., pathological hallmarks of the AD brain) are established. Among such factors, glial responses have been increasingly recognized as important roles in the progression of these pathologies and viewed as one component of the AD continuum. However, the detailed molecular and cellular mechanisms of glial function underlying AD pathogenesis remain to be elucidated. Recent studies revealed that peripheral immunity, gut microbiota, or environmental factors influence brain pathophysiologies through communication with glial cells in the brain. This disease complexity makes understanding AD etiology difficult and hinders the development of effective therapeutic strategies to tackle this disease. Conversely, aged patients often suffer from multiple — not a single — diseases as multimorbidity, and AD pathogenesis may be related to pathologies caused by other diseases. Hence, investigating AD as a systemic disease has become critical for identifying therapeutic interventions. This review aims to summarize current knowledge on AD research and share perspectives for understanding glial functions concerning AD pathophysiology.
Source: Clinical and Experimental Neuroimmunology - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: INVITED REVIEW Source Type: research