Lithium, a potential protective drug in Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the presence of two histopathological aberrant structures, the senile plaques and the neurofibrillary tangles. The main component of these tangles is the cytoskeletal protein tau in hyperphosphorylated form. Since a main tau kinase is glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3), the use of specific GSK-3 inhibitors, like lithium, could be a potential therapy in Alzheimer's disease. In this short article, we have done a review on tau phosphorylation in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies, and on the inhibition of kinases like GSK-3, involved in tau modification.
Engel
T
T
Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Goñi-Oliver
P
P
Gómez de Barreda
E
E
Lucas
J J
JJ
Hernández
F
F
Avila
J
J
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D006801:Humans; D018020:Lithium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D018020:Lithium Compounds; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3