title: Alzheimer's disease, astrocytes and kynurenines.
abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disease and the most common cause of dementia. The etiology of AD is not entirely clear and despite the increasing knowledge regarding the pathomechanism, no effective disease-modifying therapy is yet available. Astrocytes earlier presumed to serve merely supportive roles for the neuronal network, have recently been shown to play an active role in the synaptic dysfunction, impairment of homeostasis, inflammation as well as excitotoxicity in relation to AD pathology. This review focuses on the pathomechanism of AD with special attention to the role of the astrocytes, excitotoxicity and the alterations in the kynurenine metabolism in the development of the disease. The correction of the neuroprotective/neurotoxic imbalance in the kynurenine pathway may represent a novel target for pharmaceutical interventions in dementia related to neurodegenerative disorders.
authors.forename: Livia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dezsi
authors.forename: Bernadett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tuka
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martos
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, Faculty of Medicine, Albert Szent-Györgyi Clinical Center, Semmelweis u. 6., H-6725 Szeged, Hungary. vecsei.laszlo@med.u-szeged.hu.
authors.forename: Laszlo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vecsei
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007737:Kynurenine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007737:Kynurenine; D018698:Glutamic Acid