scholarly journals Biochemical Markers in Alzheimer’s Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1989 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Rabbito ◽  
Maciej Dulewicz ◽  
Agnieszka Kulczyńska-Przybik ◽  
Barbara Mroczko
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Biological Fluids ◽  
Related Disease ◽  
Progressive Loss ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The World ◽  
Β Amyloid

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most frequent neurodegenerative diseases affecting more than 35 million people in the world, and its incidence is estimated to triple by 2050. Alzheimer’s disease is an age-related disease characterized by the progressive loss of memory and cognitive function, caused by the unstoppable neurodegeneration and brain atrophy. Current AD treatments only relieve the symptoms. The first molecular signs of the disease identified decades ago and were related to the tau neurofibrillary tangles and the β amyloid plaques. Despite the considerable progress in the diagnostic field, there is no certain knowledge of the specific biomarkers reflecting molecular mechanisms that trigger the symptoms of the disease. Therefore, there is an enormous need to find biomarkers useful for early diagnosis, before the first symptoms appear, and develop new therapeutic targets, which would guarantee improving patients’ quality of life. Researchers from all around the world are looking for biomarkers that can be identified in different biological fluids such as plasma, serum, and cerebrospinal fluid, specific for Alzheimer’s disease. In this review, we would like to resume some of the most interesting discovery in pathological mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s disease and promising biomarkers.

Preventing Alzheimer's Wandering

2019 ◽  
pp. 77-89
Author(s):  
Sara Paiva ◽  
Rui Peleja ◽  
Jorge Cunha ◽  
Carlos Abreu
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Cognitive Impairments ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Brain Disorder ◽  
Age Related

With increased life expectancy, the incidence of age-related cognitive impairments, faced by the elderly and older generations, is growing. Among the population with cognitive impairments, those that suffer from Alzheimer's disease are the most common. The Alzheimer's disease is a chronic degenerative brain disorder that is characterised by a failure of memory and, in some instances, by disorders in language, perception and planning. As a consequence of the progressive damages imposed by the illness, patients will increasingly seek and need assistance. This paper presents a tool to aid the development and managing of caregiving communities, comprising immediate family members, relatives, neighbours and healthcare professionals, to assist patients with Alzheimer's disease. Such communities could have a strong impact on the quality of care provided to the patients. At the same time, it is hoped that involving communities will significantly improve the quality of life of Alzheimer's patients and their families while reducing the costs related to the care provided.

scholarly journals Molecular and Imaging Biomarkers in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Focus on Recent Insights

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Villa ◽  
Marialuisa Lavitrano ◽  
Elena Salvatore ◽  
Romina Combi
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Biological Fluids ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Imaging Biomarkers ◽  
Attractive Alternative

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease among the elderly, affecting millions of people worldwide and clinically characterized by a progressive and irreversible cognitive decline. The rapid increase in the incidence of AD highlights the need for an easy, efficient and accurate diagnosis of the disease in its initial stages in order to halt or delay the progression. The currently used diagnostic methods rely on measures of amyloid-β (Aβ), phosphorylated (p-tau) and total tau (t-tau) protein levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) aided by advanced neuroimaging techniques like positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, the invasiveness of these procedures and the high cost restrict their utilization. Hence, biomarkers from biological fluids obtained using non-invasive methods and novel neuroimaging approaches provide an attractive alternative for the early diagnosis of AD. Such biomarkers may also be helpful for better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease, allowing differential diagnosis or at least prolonging the pre-symptomatic stage in patients suffering from AD. Herein, we discuss the advantages and limits of the conventional biomarkers as well as recent promising candidates from alternative body fluids and new imaging techniques.

scholarly journals The Role of Selected Bioactive Compounds in the Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease

Antioxidants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wojciech Grodzicki ◽  
Katarzyna Dziendzikowska
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Neuroprotective Effect ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Elderly Persons ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Age Related ◽  
In Vivo Animal Model

Neurodegeneration is a feature of many debilitating, incurable age-dependent diseases that affect the nervous system and represent a major threat to the health of elderly persons. Because of the ongoing process of aging experienced by modern societies, the increasing prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases is becoming a global public health concern. A major cause of age-related dementia is Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Currently, there are no effective therapies to slow, stop, or reverse the progression of this disease. However, many studies have suggested that modification of lifestyle factors, such as the introduction of an appropriate diet, can delay or prevent the onset of this disorder. Diet is currently considered to be a crucial factor in controlling health and protecting oneself against oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, and thus against chronic degenerative diseases. A large number of bioactive food compounds may influence the pathological mechanisms underlying AD. Among them, phenolic compounds, omega-3 fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, isothiocyanates, and carotenoids seem to be promising. They act not only as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents, but also as active modulators of the pathological molecular mechanisms that play a role in AD development, including the formation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, the main hallmarks of AD pathology. In vivo animal model studies as well as clinical and epidemiological research suggest that nutritional intervention has a positive effect on the health of older people and may prevent age-related cognitive decline, especially when the diet contains more than one bioactive nutrient. The Mediterranean diet and in particular its combination with Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, which is called the MIND diet, are nutritional patterns based on many products rich in bioactive compounds that appear to be the most effective in preventing neurodegeneration. The present review gathers evidence that supports the neuroprotective effect of bioactive substances.

scholarly journals Microglia in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Target for Therapeutic Intervention

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guimei Zhang ◽  
Zicheng Wang ◽  
Huiling Hu ◽  
Meng Zhao ◽  
Li Sun
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Tau Pathology ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Amyloid Accumulation ◽  
Pathophysiological Role ◽  
Inflammatory Drugs ◽  
Β Amyloid

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common types of age-related dementia worldwide. In addition to extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles, dysregulated microglia also play deleterious roles in the AD pathogenesis. Numerous studies have demonstrated that unbridled microglial activity induces a chronic neuroinflammatory environment, promotes β-amyloid accumulation and tau pathology, and impairs microglia-associated mitophagy. Thus, targeting microglia may pave the way for new therapeutic interventions. This review provides a thorough overview of the pathophysiological role of the microglia in AD and illustrates the potential avenues for microglia-targeted therapies, including microglial modification, immunoreceptors, and anti-inflammatory drugs.

scholarly journals RNA Dynamics in Alzheimer’s Disease

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (17) ◽  
pp. 5113
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Rybak-Wolf ◽  
Mireya Plass
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Circular Rnas ◽  
Rna Dynamics ◽  
Age Related

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder that heavily burdens healthcare systems worldwide. There is a significant requirement to understand the still unknown molecular mechanisms underlying AD. Current evidence shows that two of the major features of AD are transcriptome dysregulation and altered function of RNA binding proteins (RBPs), both of which lead to changes in the expression of different RNA species, including microRNAs (miRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and messenger RNAs (mRNAs). In this review, we will conduct a comprehensive overview of how RNA dynamics are altered in AD and how this leads to the differential expression of both short and long RNA species. We will describe how RBP expression and function are altered in AD and how this impacts the expression of different RNA species. Furthermore, we will also show how changes in the abundance of specific RNA species are linked to the pathology of AD.

scholarly journals Phytocannabinoids use in Alzheimer’s disease

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Júlia Maia Seixas ◽  
Hygor Kleber Cabral Silva ◽  
Maria Alice Rocha Lopes ◽  
Kamila Castro Oliveira Camargos ◽  
Lara Silveira Marques ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Endocannabinoid System ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Β Amyloid

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia among older adults impacting quality of life. Nowadays, four drugs are indicated to manage AD symptoms, however, none of them have shown effectiveness to prevent the disease’s progress, and they are associated with adverse effects. In this scenario, the endocannabinoid system has the attention of researchers and physicians, because of its relation with processes involved in the AD physiopathology. Therefore, in the last decade, studies that evaluate the use of Cannabidiol (CBD) and other phytocannabinoids, like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabinol (CBN), as an alternative treatment to this illness, have multiplied. Objectives: To bring updated information about this new and promising therapeutic. Methods: A bibliographic research in PubMed with the terms “Cannabidiol and Alzheimer” was made, with the filters “Free full text” and “Publication Date 5 years”. The research obtained 31 results, from which were chosen 10. Results: In vivo studies with CBD, THC and CBN have shown their properties: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, attenuation of toxic accumulation of β-amyloid protein and to reverse cognitive deficits, all AD physiopathological processes. It was also demonstrated that the combination between THC and CBD shows better efficiency and fewer adverse effects than CBD isolated use. Conclusions: Despite needing deeper and stronger studies with better conducted clinical trials, the researches about phytocannabinoids use in AD seem promising, and they might become the biggest ally in the treatment of this and other neurodegenerative conditions.

scholarly journals Functional Foods: An Approach to Modulate Molecular Mechanisms of Alzheimer’s Disease

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 2347
Author(s):  
Anna Atlante ◽  
Giuseppina Amadoro ◽  
Antonella Bobba ◽  
Valentina Latina
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Food Product ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
The Road ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Β Amyloid ◽  
The Brain

A new epoch is emerging with intense research on nutraceuticals, i.e., “food or food product that provides medical or health benefits including the prevention and treatment of diseases”, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Nutraceuticals act at different biochemical and metabolic levels and much evidence shows their neuroprotective effects; in particular, they are able to provide protection against mitochondrial damage, oxidative stress, toxicity of β-amyloid and Tau and cell death. They have been shown to influence the composition of the intestinal microbiota significantly contributing to the discovery that differential microorganisms composition is associated with the formation and aggregation of cerebral toxic proteins. Further, the routes of interaction between epigenetic mechanisms and the microbiota–gut–brain axis have been elucidated, thus establishing a modulatory role of diet-induced epigenetic changes of gut microbiota in shaping the brain. This review examines recent scientific literature addressing the beneficial effects of some natural products for which mechanistic evidence to prevent or slowdown AD are available. Even if the road is still long, the results are already exceptional.

The role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and the neurotrophin receptor p75NTR in age-related brain atrophy and the transition to Alzheimer’s disease

2022 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaun Cade ◽  
Xin-Fu Zhou ◽  
Larisa Bobrovskaya
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Synaptic Plasticity ◽  
Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Neurotrophin Receptor ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Synaptic Dysfunction ◽  
Age Related

Abstract Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition that is potentially mediated by synaptic dysfunction before the onset of cognitive impairments. The disease mostly affects elderly people and there is currently no therapeutic which halts its progression. One therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s disease is to regenerate lost synapses by targeting mechanisms involved in synaptic plasticity. This strategy has led to promising drug candidates in clinical trials, but further progress needs to be made. An unresolved problem of Alzheimer’s disease is to identify the molecular mechanisms that render the aged brain susceptible to synaptic dysfunction. Understanding this susceptibility may identify drug targets which could halt, or even reverse, the disease’s progression. Brain derived neurotrophic factor is a neurotrophin expressed in the brain previously implicated in Alzheimer’s disease due to its involvement in synaptic plasticity. Low levels of the protein increase susceptibility to the disease and post-mortem studies consistently show reductions in its expression. A desirable therapeutic approach for Alzheimer’s disease is to stimulate the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor and potentially regenerate lost synapses. However, synthesis and secretion of the protein are regulated by complex activity-dependent mechanisms within neurons, which makes this approach challenging. Moreover, the protein is synthesised as a precursor which exerts the opposite effect of its mature form through the neurotrophin receptor p75NTR. This review will evaluate current evidence on how age-related alterations in the synthesis, processing and signalling of brain derived neurotrophic factor may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s 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.

scholarly journals Interacting Models of Amyloid-β and Tau Proteins: An Approach to Identify Drug Targets in Alzheimer’s Disease

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Priya Khadgawat ◽  
J.M. Siddesha ◽  
Dharini Shashank ◽  
Shashanka K. Prasad
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Tau Proteins ◽  
Current Review ◽  
The World ◽  
Associated Proteins ◽  
Made In

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the primary cause of dementia affecting millions each year across the world, though still remains incurable. This might be attributed to the lack of knowledge about the associated proteins, their cellular and molecular mechanisms, and the genesis of the disease. The discovery of drugs that earlier revolved around targeting the amyloid-β cascade has now been reformed with the upgraded knowledge of the cross-seeding ability of tau protein which opens new gateways for therapeutic targets. This article provides a comprehensive review of various direct and indirect connecting pathways between the two main proteins involved in development and progression of AD, enabling us to further expand our repertoire of information regarding the etiology of AD. The current review indicates the need for extensive research in this niche, thus considerable advances can be made in understanding AD which eventually helps to improve the current therapeutics against AD.

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