Impairment of the autophagy–lysosomal pathway in Alzheimer's diseases: Pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutic potential

Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B

Chuanbin Yang¹  Jichao Sun²  Jigang Wang³  Chengchao Xu³  Wei Zhang⁴  Han-Ming Shen⁴ 

[1] Artemisinin Research Center, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China;Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Postdoctoral Research Station, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China;the First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, China;Department of Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital (the Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University;

关键词: Alzheimer's disease (AD);    Amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides;    MAPT/tau;    Autophagy–lysosomal pathway;    Autophagy enhancers;    Autophagy;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by memory loss and cognitive dysfunction. The accumulation of misfolded protein aggregates including amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides and microtubule associated protein tau (MAPT/tau) in neuronal cells are hallmarks of AD. So far, the exact underlying mechanisms for the aetiologies of AD have not been fully understood and the effective treatment for AD is limited. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved cellular catabolic process by which damaged cellular organelles and protein aggregates are degraded via lysosomes. Recently, there is accumulating evidence linking the impairment of the autophagy–lysosomal pathway with AD pathogenesis. Interestingly, the enhancement of autophagy to remove protein aggregates has been proposed as a promising therapeutic strategy for AD. Here, we first summarize the recent genetic, pathological and experimental studies regarding the impairment of the autophagy–lysosomal pathway in AD. We then describe the interplay between the autophagy–lysosomal pathway and two pathological proteins, Aβ and MAPT/tau, in AD. Finally, we discuss potential therapeutic strategies and small molecules that target the autophagy–lysosomal pathway for AD treatment both in animal models and in clinical trials. Overall, this article highlights the pivotal functions of the autophagy–lysosomal pathway in AD pathogenesis and potential druggable targets in the autophagy–lysosomal pathway for AD treatment.

【 授权许可】

Unknown