Isoprenoids and Alzheimer's disease: a complex relationship

Cholesterol metabolism has been linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology, which is characterized by amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and neuroinflammation. Indeed, the use of statins, which Inhibit cholesterol and isoprenoid biosynthesis, as potential AD therapeutics is under investigation. Whether statins offer benefit for AD will be determined by the outcome of large, placebo-con trolled, randomized clinical trials. However, their use as pharmacological tools has delineated novel roles for isoprenoids in AD. Protein isoprenylation regulates multiple cellular and molecular events and here we review the complex roles of isoprenoids in AD-relevant processes and carefully evaluate isoprenoid pathways as potential AD therapeutic targets. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.