title: Apolipoprotein E in Alzheimer's disease: an update.
abstract: The vast majority of Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases are late onset (LOAD), which is genetically complex with heritability estimates up to 80%. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) has been irrefutably recognized as the major genetic risk factor, with semidominant inheritance, for LOAD. Although the mechanisms that underlie the pathogenic nature of APOE in AD are still not completely understood, emerging data suggest that APOE contributes to AD pathogenesis through both amyloid-β (Aβ)-dependent and Aβ-independent pathways. Given the central role for APOE in the modulation of AD pathogenesis, many therapeutic strategies have emerged, including converting APOE conformation, regulating APOE expression, mimicking APOE peptides, blocking the APOE/Aβ interaction, modulating APOE lipidation state, and gene therapy. Accumulating evidence also suggests the utility of APOE genotyping in AD diagnosis, risk assessment, prevention, and treatment response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, School of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China; email: yu-jintai@163.com , dr.tanlan@163.com.
authors.forename: Jin-Tai
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hardy
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D016875:tau Proteins
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; amyloid-β; apolipoprotein E; pathogenesis; polymorphism; tau; therapy