Title:AMPK: Potential Therapeutic Target for Alzheimer's Disease
Volume: 21
Issue: 1
Author(s): Luping Yang, Yijing Jiang, Lihong Shi, Dongling Zhong, Yuxi Li, Juan Li*Rongjiang Jin*
Affiliation:
- Health Preservation and Rehabilitation College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610037,China
- Health Preservation and Rehabilitation College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610037,China
Keywords:
AD, AMPK, Aβ accumulation, tau phosphorylation, Alzheimer's disease, tau phosphorylation.
Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder. The pathogenesis
of AD is very complicated. For decades, the amyloid hypothesis has influenced and guided research
in the field of AD. Meanwhile, researchers gradually realized that AD is caused by multiple concomitant
factors, such as autophagy, mitochondrial quality control, insulin resistance and oxidative stress. In
current clinical trials, the improvement strategies of AD, such as Aβ antibody immunotherapy and
gamma secretase inhibitors, are limited. There is mounting evidence of neurodegenerative disorders
indicated that activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) may have broad neuroprotective
effects. We reviewed the researches on AMPK for AD, the results demonstrated that activation of
AMPK is controversial in Aβ deposition and tau phosphorylation, but is positive to promote autophagy,
maintain mitochondrial quality control, reduce insulin resistance and relieve oxidative stress. It
is concluded that AMPK might be a new target for AD by aggressively treating the risk factors in the
future.