Open AccessThe Role of Astrocytes in the Cause of Alzheimer's Disease
Author(s) -
Nadia Priyam,
Andrew Savoy
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of student research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2167-1907
DOI - 10.47611/jsrhs.v10i3.1790
Subject(s) - cholinergic , nerve growth factor , cholinergic neuron , neuroscience , amyloid precursor protein , amyloid (mycology) , neurotrophic factors , alzheimer's disease , neurotrophin , disease , senile plaques , biology , medicine , pathology , receptor
There are three leading hypotheses about the cause of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD): the cholinergic theory, where there is a loss of cholinergic neurons; the amyloid hypothesis, where there is an abnormal buildup of amyloid plaques; and the neurotrophic unbalance hypothesis, which states that AD-related loss of cholinergic signaling and altered amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing are due to alterations in nerve growth factor (NGF). This would ultimately mean that the loss of cholinergic neurons and a buildup of amyloid plaques are due to NGF alterations. Astrocytes are involved in the production of amyloid-beta, inflammation responses, and nerve growth. Therefore, astrocytes are an essential component of all three AD hypotheses. This paper will discuss various known and hypothesized ways that astrocytes affect the symptoms and possible causes of AD.