Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors and Microglia as Therapeutic and Imaging Targets in Alzheimer's Disease.

ABSTRACT: Amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation and tauopathy are considered the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but attenuation in choline signaling, including decreased nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), is evident in the early phase of AD. Currently, there are no drugs that can suppress the progression of AD due to a limited understanding of AD pathophysiology. For this, diagnostic methods that can assess disease progression non-invasively before the onset of AD symptoms are essential, and it would be valuable to incorporate the concept of neurotheranostics, which simultaneously enables diagnosis and treatment. The neuroprotective pathways activated by nAChRs are attractive targets as these receptors may regulate microglial-mediated neuroinflammation. Microglia exhibit both pro

SUBMITTER: Takata K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9102429 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature