Innate Immunity and Cell Death in Alzheimer's Disease

SangJoon Lee1, Hyun-Jeong Cho2, Jin-Hyeob Ryu3,4

  • 1Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Medicine, 38515University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.

ASN Neuro
|October 20, 2021
PubMed

Insights

The innate immune system, particularly microglia, drives Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression by initiating neuroinflammation and Aβ accumulation. Understanding these immune responses is crucial for developing future AD therapeutics.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroimmunology
  • Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis

Background:

  • The innate immune system, including microglia, is vital for brain homeostasis and pathogen defense.
  • Microglia's pattern recognition receptors initiate neuroinflammation, contributing to Alzheimer's disease (AD) hallmarks like Aβ accumulation and neuronal loss.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of innate immune responses in Alzheimer's disease.
  • To elucidate the roles of inflammasome activation, inflammatory cell death, and cytokine secretion in AD pathology.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent advancements in innate immunity and AD research.
  • Analysis of the interplay between AD pathology and innate immune processes.

Main Results:

  • Innate immune sensing by microglia is a key driver of neuroinflammation and AD progression.
  • Inflammasome activation, inflammatory cell death, and cytokine dysregulation are central to AD pathology.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding innate immune mechanisms in AD provides a foundation for novel therapeutic strategies.
  • Targeting neuroinflammation and related pathways holds promise for future AD treatments.

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