Current Alzheimer Research - Volume 8, Issue 1, 2011

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At diagnosis, Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains are extensively burdened with plaques and tangles and display a degree of synaptic failure most likely beyond therapeutic treatment. It is therefore crucial to identify early pathological events in the progression of the disease. While it is not currently feasible to identify and study early, pre-clinical stages of AD, transgenic (Tg) models offer a valuable tool in this regard. Here we investig Read More

According to recent criteria, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) represents a clinical condition with multiple cognitive presentations (amnesic and non amnesic) that can be supported by different types of brain lesions (mainly vascular and atrophic). In order to asses if the cognitive presentation and the rate of progression differ according to the type of brain pathology, two populations of MCI patients, characterized by hippocampal at Read More

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In Alzheimers's disease (AD) a disturbed balance between synthesis and removal of Aβ leads to the formation of Aβ deposits and a reaction of the innate immune system. Little evidence exists for a contribution of the adaptive immune response in AD, as no signs of influx of blood borne cells or presence of immunoglobulins in Aβ deposits are apparent. Factors of the complement (C) system and pentraxins act as pattern recognit Read More

The Kallikrein-Kinin System (KKS) has been associated to inflammatory and immunogenic responses in the peripheral and central nervous system by the activation of two receptors, namely B1 receptor and B2 receptor. The B1 receptor is absent or under-expressed in physiological conditions, being up-regulated during tissue injury or in the presence of cytokines. The B2 receptor is constitutive and mediates most of the biologic Read More

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with major clinical hallmarks of memory loss, dementia, and cognitive impairment. Neuroinflammation is involved in the onset of several neurodegenerative disorders. Astrocyte is the most abundant type of glial cells in the central nervous system (CNS) and appears to be involved in the induction of neuroinflammation. Under stress and injury, astrocytes become ast Read More

Cerebrovascular accumulation of amyloid-β protein (Aβ) aggregates in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is proposed to contribute to disease progression and brain inflammation as a result of Aβ-induced increases in endothelial monolayer permeability and stimulation of the endothelium for cellular adhesion and transmigration. These deficiencies facilitate the entry of serum proteins and monocyte-derived microglia into the brain. In Read More

Widespread neuroinflammation in the central nervous system (CNS) of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, involving pro-inflammatory mediators such as complement components, might be responsible for AD associated behavioral symptoms such as anxiety. Vaccinia virus complement control protein (VCP) and curcumin (Cur) are the bioactive compounds of natural origin shown to inhibit the in-vitro complement activation. In o Read More