Alzheimer's disease: biological aspects, therapeutic perspectives and diagnostic tools

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia among older people. Dementia is an irreversible brain disorder that seriously affects a person's ability to carry out daily activities. It is characterized by loss of cognitive functioning and behavioral abilities, to such an extent that it interferes with the daily life and activities of the affected patients. Although it is still unknown how the disease process begins, it seems that brain damage starts a decade or more before problems become evident. Scientific data seem to indicate that changes in the generation or the degradation of the amyloid-b peptide (Aβ) lead to the formation of aggregated structures that are the triggering molecular events in the pathogenic cascade of AD. This review summarizes some characteristic features of Aβ misfolding and aggregation and how cell damage and death mechanisms are induced by these supramolecular and toxic structures. Further, some interventions for the early diagnosis of AD are described and in the last part the potential therapeutic strategies adoptable to slow down, or better block, the progression of the pathology are reported.