title: Pentraxins and Alzheimer's disease: at the interface between biomarkers and pharmacological targets.
abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder involving deposition of misfolded proteins in vulnerable brain regions leading to inexorable and progressive neuronal loss and deterioration of cognitive functions. The AD brain displays features typical of chronic inflammation as defined by the presence of activated microglia and by an excessive amount of neuroinflammatory components such as cytokines and acute-phase proteins. This review aims to shed light on the role of the immune processes involved in AD, focusing on a family of inflammatory modulators belonging to the acute-phase proteins and crucial components of the humoral arm of innate immunity: pentraxins. In particular we analyze function of the pentraxins in AD, their upregulation in the brain and their contribution to neurodegeneration. Additionally, we highlight the role of pentraxins as putative AD biomarkers and as pharmacological therapeutic targets.
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Neurobiology and Neuropharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Nervous System, University of Pavia, Italy. cecilia.osera@unipv.it
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Osera
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pascale
authors.forename: Marialaura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amadio
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Venturini
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Govoni
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ricevuti
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component / Q000378:metabolism; D000099153:Pentraxins
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component; D000099153:Pentraxins