title: Innate immunity in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the world's most common dementing illness, affecting over 150 million patients. Classically AD has been viewed as a neurodegenerative disease of the elderly, characterized by the extracellular deposition of misfolded amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide and the intracellular formation of neurofibrillary tangles. Only recently has neuroinflammation emerged as an important component of AD pathology. Experimental, genetic and epidemiological data now indicate a crucial role for activation of the innate immune system as a disease-promoting factor. The sustained formation and deposition of Aβ aggregates causes chronic activation of the immune system and disturbance of microglial clearance functions. Here we review advances in the molecular understanding of the inflammatory response in AD that point to novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of this devastating disease.
authors.affiliation: 1] Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany. [2] Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. [3] German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Heneka
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Douglas T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Golenbock
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. [2] German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany. [3] Institute of Innate Immunology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Eicke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Latz
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology