Abstract:

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder and the most common form of old-age dementia. The disease is characterized by a progressive decline in cognitive functions, gradual loss of memory and ability to perform everyday activities, and leads to inevitable death within 3 to 9 years after diagnosis. The pathological hallmarks of the disease are the accumulation of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles, composed of the microtubule associated protein tau, and extracellular deposits of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, which are overall responsible for an extensive loss of neurons and synaptic connectivity.