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Oligodendroglial Cells in Alzheimer’s Disease

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Neuroglia in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 1175))

Abstract

Oligodendrocytes form the myelin that ensheaths CNS axons, which is essential for rapid neuronal signalling and underpins the massive computing power of the human brain. Oligodendrocytes and myelin also provide metabolic and trophic support for axons and their disruption results in axonal demise and neurodegeneration, which are key features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Notably, the brain has a remarkable capacity for regenerating oligodendrocytes, which is the function of adult oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) or NG2-glia. White matter loss is often among the earliest brain changes in AD, preceding the tangles and plaques that characterize neuronal deficits. The underlying causes of myelin loss include oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and excitotoxicity, associated with accumulation of Aβ and tau hyperphosphorylation, pathological hallmarks of AD. Moreover, there is evidence that NG2-glia are disrupted in AD, which may be associated with disruption of synaptic signalling. This has led to the hypothesis that a vicious cycle of myelin loss and failure of regeneration from NG2-glia plays a key role in AD. Therapies that target NG2-glia are likely to have positive effects on myelination and neuroprotection in AD.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are supported by grants from the BBSRC, MRC and Multiple Sclerosis Society of the UK.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, University of Portsmouth, St. Michael’s Building, White Sawn Road, Portsmouth, PO1 2DT, UK

    Arthur M. Butt, Irene Chacon De La Rocha & Andrea Rivera

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  1. Arthur M. Butt
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  2. Irene Chacon De La Rocha
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  3. Andrea Rivera
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Correspondence to Arthur M. Butt .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    Alexei Verkhratsky

  2. School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China

    Margaret S. Ho

  3. Institute of Pathophysiology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Robert Zorec

  4. Department of Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Vladimir Parpura

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Butt, A.M., De La Rocha, I., Rivera, A. (2019). Oligodendroglial Cells in Alzheimer’s Disease. In: Verkhratsky, A., Ho, M., Zorec, R., Parpura, V. (eds) Neuroglia in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1175. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9913-8_12

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