Table 3: Some of the Pathological Events that Take Place in AD

  • Abnormal hydrolysis of APP (β-secretase and γ-secretase) → βA production (βA40, βA42)
  • Fibrillogenesis: polymerization and formation of βA oligomers
  • Aggregation → final formation of neuritic plaques
  • Neurofibrillary degeneration: hyperphosphorylation of τ-protein → neurofibrillary tangles
  • Glutamate excess in synapses → excitotoxicity
  • Activation of microglia and presence of inflammatory proteins
  • Imbalance in intracellular ion homeostasis (calcium, copper, iron, zinc)
  • Oxidative stress → free radicals toxicity
  • Alterations of the mitochondrial membrane → failure of the cellular energetic system