title: Insights on the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease: The crosstalk between amyloid pathology, neuroinflammation and the peripheral immune system.
abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, whose prevalence is growing along with the increased life expectancy. Although the accumulation and deposition of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides in the brain is viewed as one of the pathological hallmarks of AD and underlies, at least in part, brain cell dysfunction and behavior alterations, the etiology of this neurodegenerative disease is still poorly understood. Noticeably, increased amyloid load is accompanied by marked inflammatory alterations, both at the level of the brain parenchyma and at the barriers of the brain. However, it is debatable whether the neuroinflammation observed in aging and in AD, together with alterations in the peripheral immune system, are responsible for increased amyloidogenesis, decreased clearance of Aβ out of the brain and/or the marked deficits in memory and cognition manifested by AD patients. Herein, we scrutinize some important traits of the pathophysiology of aging and AD, focusing on the interplay between the amyloidogenic pathway, neuroinflammation and the peripheral immune system.
authors.affiliation: Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimaraes, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dá Mesquita
authors.affiliation: Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimaraes, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana Catarina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimaraes, Portugal.
authors.forename: João Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimaraes, Portugal.
authors.forename: Margarida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Correia-Neves
authors.affiliation: Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimaraes, Portugal.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimaraes, Portugal. Electronic address: fmarques@ecsaude.uminho.pt.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marques
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000544:Alzheimer Disease; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D001921:Brain; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides
keywords: Aging; Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid beta; Blood-brain barrier; Cerebrospinal fluid; Choroid plexus; Cognition; Cytokines; Glial cells; Immune system; Neuroinflammation; Neurons