Development of AD-Like Pathology in Skeletal Muscle

Effective therapeutic strategy against Alzheimer's disease (AD) requires early detection of AD; however, clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is not precise and a definitive diagnosis of AD is only possible via postmortem examination for AD pathological hallmarks including senile plaques composed of Aβ and neuro fibrillary tangles composed of phosphorylated tau. Although a variety of biomarker has been developed and used in clinical setting, none of them robustly predicts subsequent clinical course of AD. Thus, it is essential to identify new biomarkers that may facilitate the diagnosis of early stages of AD, prediction of subsequent clinical course, and development of new therapeutic strategies. Given that pathological hallmarks of AD including Aβaccumulation and the presence of phosphorylated tau are also detected in peripheral tissues, AD is considered a systemic disease. Without the protection of blood-brain barrier, systemic factors can affect peripheral tissues much earlier than neurons in brain. Here, we will discuss the development of AD-like pathology in skeletal muscle and the potential use of skeletal muscle biopsy (examination for Aβaccumulation and phosphorylated tau) as a biomarker for AD.