title: Alzheimer's disease: brain expression of a metabolic disorder?
abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and is of rapidly increasing health, social and economic impact. Recent evidence suggests a strict link between metabolic disorders and AD. In the last decade much attention has focused specifically on the connection between dysfunction of lipid metabolism and AD. Here we discuss aspects of lipid regulation, including changes in cholesterol levels, function of apolipoproteins and leptin, and how these relate to AD pathogenesis. Despite the vast literature available, many aspects still need clarification. Nevertheless, the route is already delineated to directly connect aspects of lipid regulation to AD. This could represent a starting point to identify novel potential targets for a preventive and/or treatment strategy of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Merlo
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spampinato
authors.forename: Pier Luigi
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Canonico
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Copani
authors.forename: Maria Angela
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sortino
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000502:physiology