Bridging prion biology and Alzheimer's disease: from pathogenic seeds to precision therapeutics

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the pathological aggregation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau proteins, which display self-templating propagation reminiscent of the prion protein (PrP ^Sc ). Despite these similarities, distinct structural heterogeneities and host interaction mechanisms offer unique avenues for disease-modifying therapies. This review comprehensively synthesizes recent advancements addressing: (1) the conformational commonalities and strain-specificities shared between Aβ/tau and PrP ^Sc ; (2) the spatiotemporal dissemination patterns of pathogenic seeds within neural networks; and (3) the development of biomarkers and therapeutic strategies rooted in prion theory. By integrating insights from prion biology with AD pathogenesis, we propose a comprehensive "conformation-propagation-microenvironment" framework for precision intervention, thereby offering a novel paradigm to surmount current therapeutic limitations.