From model system to clinical medicine: pathophysiologic links of common proteinopathies

Recent clinical evidence suggests that Alzheimer disease (AD), Parkinson disease (PD), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), though distinct neurological disorders, have some common pathological features that may have an impact on the clinical characteristics of these diseases. However, the question of whether these disorders have a common pathophysiology remains. Clinton and colleagues recently reported a mouse model that exhibits the combined pathologies of AD, PD, and DLB, a finding that may shed some light on this issue. Using this mouse model, the authors demonstrate that the pathogenic proteins amyloid beta, tau, and alpha-synuclein interact synergistically to enhance the accumulation of one another and accelerate cognitive decline. These data indicate shared pathogenic mechanisms and suggest the possibility that therapeutic interventions successfully targeting one of these pathogenic proteins have implications for a number of related neurodegenerative disorders.