Apolipoprotein E in Alzheimer’s disease trajectories and the next-generation clinical care pathway

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex, progressive primary neurodegenerative disease. Since pivotal genetic studies in 1993, the ε4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE ε4) has remained the strongest single genome-wide associated risk variant in AD. Scientific advances in APOE biology, AD pathophysiology and ApoE-targeted therapies have brought APOE to the forefront of research, with potential translation into routine AD clinical care. This contemporary Review will merge APOE research with the emerging AD clinical care pathway and discuss APOE genetic risk as a conduit to genomic-based precision medicine in AD, including ApoE’s influence in the ATX(N) biomarker framework of AD. We summarize the evidence for APOE as an important modifier of AD clinical–biological trajectories. We then illustrate the utility of APOE testing and the future of ApoE-targeted therapies in the next-generation AD clinical–diagnostic pathway. With the emergence of new AD therapies, understanding how APOE modulates AD pathophysiology will become critical for personalized AD patient care.