Migration of blood cells to β-amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that leads to the progressive deterioration of cognitive and memory functions. The deposition of extracellular beta-amyloid (A beta) senile plaques and intracellular tau neurofibrillary tangles are considered the cardinal pathological hallmarks of AD, however, accumulating evidence indicates that immune cells may also play an important role in disease pathogenesis. Among these immune cells, blood-derived cells and their infiltration into the CNS towards A beta plaques have been implicated in therapeutic strategies against AD. Here, we review the current literature on blood cell migration into the AD brain and the important players involved in this selective migration towards A beta plaques. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.