Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Current theories for the molecular and cellular pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease

Gouras, Gunnar K. LU orcid (2001) In Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine 3(16). p.1-11
Abstract

Over the past decade, the prevailing view for the molecular and cellular pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has centred on the β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide that accumulates in vulnerable brain areas in the disease. The amyloid cascade hypothesis postulates that the build up of Aβ in the brain causes damage to neurons, leading to dysfunction and loss of neurons, and the clinical phenotype of the amnestic dementia characteristic of AD. All known mutations that result in autosomal dominant forms of early-onset familial AD cause increased production of Aβ42, a form of Aβ that is particularly relevant in AD. Other proteins that are crucial to the pathogenesis of AD are the presenilins 1 and 2, which are intimately involved with Aβ production... (More)

Over the past decade, the prevailing view for the molecular and cellular pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has centred on the β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide that accumulates in vulnerable brain areas in the disease. The amyloid cascade hypothesis postulates that the build up of Aβ in the brain causes damage to neurons, leading to dysfunction and loss of neurons, and the clinical phenotype of the amnestic dementia characteristic of AD. All known mutations that result in autosomal dominant forms of early-onset familial AD cause increased production of Aβ42, a form of Aβ that is particularly relevant in AD. Other proteins that are crucial to the pathogenesis of AD are the presenilins 1 and 2, which are intimately involved with Aβ production and when mutated in familial forms of AD cause increases in Aβ42. Currently, challenges in AD research include determining the earliest pathological effects of Aβ42, how the important AD risk factor apolipoprotein E affects the disease process, whether presenilin is the elusive γ-secretase, and how levels of Aβ can be effectively reduced therapeutically.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine
volume
3
issue
16
pages
1 - 11
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85012434731
ISSN
1462-3994
DOI
10.1017/S1462399401003167
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
6411089f-4bdf-4ec5-9764-9d729cb52e2d
date added to LUP
2020-02-20 14:43:17
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:46:38
@article{6411089f-4bdf-4ec5-9764-9d729cb52e2d,
  abstract     = {{<p>Over the past decade, the prevailing view for the molecular and cellular pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has centred on the β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide that accumulates in vulnerable brain areas in the disease. The amyloid cascade hypothesis postulates that the build up of Aβ in the brain causes damage to neurons, leading to dysfunction and loss of neurons, and the clinical phenotype of the amnestic dementia characteristic of AD. All known mutations that result in autosomal dominant forms of early-onset familial AD cause increased production of Aβ42, a form of Aβ that is particularly relevant in AD. Other proteins that are crucial to the pathogenesis of AD are the presenilins 1 and 2, which are intimately involved with Aβ production and when mutated in familial forms of AD cause increases in Aβ42. Currently, challenges in AD research include determining the earliest pathological effects of Aβ42, how the important AD risk factor apolipoprotein E affects the disease process, whether presenilin is the elusive γ-secretase, and how levels of Aβ can be effectively reduced therapeutically.</p>}},
  author       = {{Gouras, Gunnar K.}},
  issn         = {{1462-3994}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{16}},
  pages        = {{1--11}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine}},
  title        = {{Current theories for the molecular and cellular pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1462399401003167}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/S1462399401003167}},
  volume       = {{3}},
  year         = {{2001}},
}