Ageing as a risk factor for neurodegenerative disease

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Pathology

Background:

• Aging is the primary risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD).
• The prevalence of AD increases with age, affecting one in ten individuals over 65.
• Effective treatments for these progressive, irreversible diseases are limited, incurring significant costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the pathogenesis of AD, PD, and other neurodegenerative diseases.
• To describe the association between the nine biological hallmarks of aging and neurodegeneration.
• To discuss aging mechanisms as potential therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on aging and neurodegeneration.
• Analysis of the nine biological hallmarks of aging.
• Exploration of potential therapeutic strategies targeting aging mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Aging hallmarks including genomic instability, epigenetic alterations, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cellular senescence are linked to neurodegenerative disease pathogenesis.
• Loss of proteostasis, deregulated nutrient sensing, stem cell exhaustion, and altered intercellular communication also contribute.
• Telomere attrition is another key hallmark associated with these diseases.

Conclusions:

• Understanding the biological mechanisms of aging provides novel therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases.
• Potential therapies include NAD+ precursors, mitophagy inducers, and cellular senescence inhibitors.
• Targeting aging processes offers a promising avenue for treating age-related neurodegenerative conditions.