mTOR-dependent signalling in Alzheimer's disease

Introduction Neurodegeneration and neurofibrillary degeneration in Alzheimer's disease brains Dysfunction of protein synthesis mediated by mTOR-dependent signalling in Alzheimer's disease brains Neurodegeneration mediated by mTOR-dependent signalling Tau phosphorylation mediated by mTOR-dependent signalling mTOR-dependent signalling in lymphocytes of AD: potential biomarkers for AD diagnosis mTOR-dependent signalling and other neurodegenerative diseases Perspectives Conclusions Neurodegeneration and neurofibrillary degeneration are the two main pathological mechanisms of cognitive impairments in Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is not clear what factors determine the fates of neurons during the progress of the disease. Emerging evidence has suggested that mTOR-dependent signalling is involved in the two types of degeneration in AD brains. This review focuses on the roles of mTOR-dependent signalling in the pathogenesis of AD. It summarizes the recent advancements in the understanding of its roles in neu-rodegeneration and neurofibrillary degeneration, as well as the evidence achieved when mTOR-related signalling components were tested as potential biomarkers of cognitive impairments in the clinical diagnosis of AD.