Amyloid, tau, pathogen infection and antimicrobial protection in Alzheimer's disease -conformist, nonconformist, and realistic prospects for AD pathogenesis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a fatal disease that threatens the quality of life of an aging population at a global scale. Various hypotheses on the etiology of AD have been developed over the years to guide efforts in search of therapeutic strategies.

Main body

In this review, we focus on four AD hypotheses currently relevant to AD onset: the prevailing amyloid cascade hypothesis, the well-recognized tau hypothesis, the increasingly popular pathogen (viral infection) hypothesis, and the infection-related antimicrobial protection hypothesis. In briefly reviewing the main evidence supporting each hypothesis and discussing the questions that need to be addressed, we hope to gain a better understanding of the complicated multi-layered interactions in potential causal a

SUBMITTER: Li H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6306008 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature