Cerebrovascular gene linked to Alzheimer's disease pathology.
There is already considerable evidence from epidemiological, pathological and clinical reports that vascular factors are crucial in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cerebral hypoperfusion has been shown to be a preclinical condition and a most accurate indicator for predicting whether people will develop AD. Now, a new study by Zlokovic and colleagues reveals that the vascular gene MEOX2 has a low expression in cultured brain endothelial cells from AD patients. This, together with evidence linking a dysfunctional cerebrovasculature to the pathogenesis of AD, suggests that the homeobox gene MEOX2 downregulation provides a therapeutic target to AD and a better understanding of this disorder.
de la Torre
Jack C
JC
Institute of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, 2085 Adelbert Road, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. jcdelatorre@comcast.net
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans
D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C484193:MEOX2 protein, human