Induced pluripotent stem cells as tools for disease modelling and drug discovery in Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder that leads to a progressive decline in a person's memory and ability to communicate and carry out daily activities. The brain pathology in AD is characterized by extensive neuronal loss, particularly of cholinergic neurons, intracellular neurofibrillary tangles composed of the tau protein (NFTs) and extracellular deposition of plaques composed of β-amyloid (Aβ), a cleavage product of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). These two insoluble protein aggregates are accompanied by a chronic inflammatory response and extensive oxidative damage. Whereas dys-regulation of APP expression or processing appears to be important for the familial, early-onset form of AD, controversy exists between the "Baptists" (in favour of Aβ) and the "Tauists" (in favour of tau) as to which of these two protein dysfunctions occur at the earliest stages or are the most important contributors to the disease process in sporadic AD. However, more and more "non-amyloid" and "non-tau" causes have been proposed, including, glycation, inflammation, oxidative stress and dys-regulation of the cell cycle. However, to get an insight into the ultimate cause of AD, and to prove that any drug target is valuable in AD, disease-relevant models giving insight into the pathogenic processes in AD are urgently needed. In the absence of a good animal model for sporadic AD, we propose in this review that induced pluripotent stem cells, derived from dermal fibroblasts of AD patients, and differentiated into cholinergic neurons, might be a promising novel tool for disease modelling and drug discovery for the sporadic form of AD.
Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, 1797, Australia.
Lezanne
L
Ooi
Kuldip
K
Sidhu
Anne
A
Poljak
Greg
G
Sutherland
Michael D
MD
O'Connor
Perminder
P
Sachdev
Gerald
G
Münch
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055808:Drug Discovery; D006801:Humans; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D016875:tau Proteins