Title:The Metabolic Basis for Nervous System Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s
Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and Huntington’s Disease
Volume: 20
Issue: 3
Author(s): Kenneth Maiese*
Affiliation:
- Cellular and Molecular Signaling, New York, NY 10022, USA
Keywords:
Alzheimer’s disease, apoptosis, autophagy, COVID-19, diabetes mellitus, erythropoietin, Huntington’s disease, mTOR, Parkinson’s disease, pyroptosis.
Abstract: Disorders of metabolism affect multiple systems throughout the body but may have the
greatest impact on both central and peripheral nervous systems. Currently available treatments and
behavior changes for disorders that include diabetes mellitus (DM) and nervous system diseases
are limited and cannot reverse the disease burden. Greater access to healthcare and a longer
lifespan have led to an increased prevalence of metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders. In light
of these challenges, innovative studies into the underlying disease pathways offer new treatment
perspectives for Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and Huntington’s Disease. Metabolic
disorders are intimately tied to neurodegenerative diseases and can lead to debilitating outcomes,
such as multi-nervous system disease, susceptibility to viral pathogens, and long-term cognitive
disability. Novel strategies that can robustly address metabolic disease and neurodegenerative disorders
involve a careful consideration of cellular metabolism, programmed cell death pathways,
the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and its associated pathways of mTOR Complex 1
(mTORC1), mTOR Complex 2 (mTORC2), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), growth factor
signaling, and underlying risk factors such as the apolipoprotein E (APOE-ε4) gene. Yet, these
complex pathways necessitate comprehensive understanding to achieve clinical outcomes that target
disease susceptibility, onset, and progression.
