Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Interactions with and Membrane Permeabilization of Brain Mitochondria by Amyloid Fibrils
Published on: September 28, 2019
Amyloid-beta and mitochondria in aging and Alzheimer's disease: implications for synaptic damage and cognitive
P Hemachandra Reddy1, Maria Manczak, Peizhong Mao
1Neurogenetics Laboratory, Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA. reddyh@ohsu.edu
Abstract:
This article reviews the role of amyloid-beta (Abeta) and mitochondria in synaptic damage and cognitive decline found in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent molecular, cellular, animal model, and postmortem brain studies have revealed that Abeta and mitochondrial abnormalities are key factors that cause synaptic damage and cognitive decline in AD. Abeta is reported to accumulate in subcellular compartments and to impair the normal function of neurons in AD patients. Further, recent studies using biochemical methods and electron microscopy have revealed that the accumulation of Abeta at nerve terminals affect synaptic activities, including the release of neurotransmitters and synaptic vesicles. Recent studies of the relationship between mitochondria and Abeta in AD patients suggest that in mitochondria, structural changes caused by Abeta result in increased mitochondrial fragmentation, decreased mitochondrial fusion, mitochondrial dysfunction, and synaptic damage. This paper discusses the latest research on Abeta, mitochondria, age-dependent factors of AD in the brain, and synaptic damage in AD. This paper also briefly discusses potential mitochondrial therapeutics in the treatment of patients with AD.
Related Concept Videos
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Mitochondria
Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ and tau...
Amyloid Fibrils
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...
Amyloid Fibrils
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...
Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction

