The neuroinflammatory role of microglia in Alzheimer's disease and their associated therapeutic targets

Abstract

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD), the main cause of dementia, is characterized by synaptic loss and neurodegeneration. Amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation, hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the brain are considered to be the initiating factors of AD. However, this hypothesis falls short of explaining many aspects of AD pathogenesis. Recently, there has been mounting evidence that neuroinflammation plays a key role in the pathophysiology of AD and causes neurodegeneration by over-activating microglia and releasing inflammatory mediators. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and MEDLINE were used for searching and summarizing all the recent publications related to inflammation and its association with Alzheimer's disease. Results: Our review shows how inflammatory dysregulation influences AD pathology as well as the roles of microglia in neuroinflammation, the possible microglia-associated therapeutic targets, top neuroinflammatory biomarkers, and anti-inflammatory drugs that combat inflammation. Conclusion: In conclusion, microglial inflammatory reactions are important factors in AD pathogenesis and need to be discussed in more detail for promising therapeutic strategies.