Title:Autophagic Dysfunction in Dementia: Scope for Development of Potential Remedies
Volume: 20
Issue: 8
Author(s): Bhumika Kumar, Mukesh Pandey, Ashwini Kumar Mishra, Anjali Sharma, Faizana Fayaz and Faheem Hyder Pottoo*
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Clinical Pharmacy, Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441,Saudi Arabia
Keywords:
Dementia, autophagy, autophagy dysfunction, neurodegenerative disorders, protein haemostasis, Autophagy Proteins
(ATGs).
Abstract: Dementia is a diverse category of chronic and progressive disorder, which is commonly
associated with a loss of memory, difficulty in judgment, impaired language, cognitive impairment,
and various other symptoms that affect a person’s daily routine life and social life. Dementia
affects about 50 million people around the globe. Dementia exists in varied forms and is associated
with various neurodegenerative disorders. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form, which accords
for about 60% of thecases. Abnormal agglomeration of proteins in the brain has been linked
to the pathogenesis of dementia. Autophagy is a necessary protein clearance mechanism, which is
dependent on lysosomes. It is a basic physiological process that performs the crucial function of
maintaining protein homeostasis within the cells. The autophagic dysfunction in dementia further
complicates the disease by hampering the degradation and removing abnormal pathogenic proteins.
In order to understand autophagic dysfunction, it is essential to know the genetics of autophagy as
well as the mutations This understanding at the genetic level helps definethe relationship between
dementia and autophagic dysfunction for developing the potential remedies for the treatment of dementia.
