The key role of mitochondria in Alzheimer's disease.
Mitochondria are uniquely poised to play a pivotal role in neuronal cell survival or death because they are regulators of both energy metabolism and apoptotic pathways. This review is mainly focused in the discussion of evidence suggesting a clear association between amyloid-beta toxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and neuronal damage/death in Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology. The knowledge that mitochondrial dysfunction has a preponderant role in Alzheimer's disease opened a window for new therapeutic strategies aimed to preserve/ameliorate mitochondrial function. Based on recent developments in mitochondrial research, increased pharmacological and pharmaceutical efforts have lead to the emergence of 'Mitochondrial Medicine' as a whole new field of biomedical research being this topic discussed in the last section of this review.
Moreira
P I
PI
Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Institute of Physiology-Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal.
Cardoso
S M
SM
Santos
M S
MS
Oliveira
C R
CR
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides