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Innate immunity in Alzheimer's disease

Nature Immunology volume 16, pages 229–236 (2015)Cite this article

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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.

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Figure 1: Clearance of Aβ.

Marina Corral Spence/Nature Publishing Group

Figure 2: Several receptors on microglia contribute to cellular activation by the various forms of Aβ.
Figure 3: Inflammasomes and the production of active IL-1β.

Marina Corral Spence/Nature Publishing Group

Figure 4: External and internal influences on AD.

Marina Corral Spence/Nature Publishing Group

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Acknowledgements

Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Excellence Cluster ImmunoSensation and KFO177 to E.L. and M.T.H.) and by the US National Institutes of Health (1R01HL112661 to E.L.).

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  1. Douglas T Golenbock and Eicke Latz: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Clinical Neuroscience, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

    Michael T Heneka

  2. Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

    Michael T Heneka, Douglas T Golenbock & Eicke Latz

  3. German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany

    Michael T Heneka & Eicke Latz

  4. Institute of Innate Immunology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

    Eicke Latz

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  1. Michael T Heneka
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Correspondence to Michael T Heneka.

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Heneka, M., Golenbock, D. & Latz, E. Innate immunity in Alzheimer's disease. Nat Immunol 16, 229–236 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/ni.3102

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