Targeting ubiquilin-1 in Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder affecting an increasing number of people worldwide as the population ages. Currently, there are no drugs available that could prevent AD pathogenesis or slow down its progression. Increasing evidence links ubiquilin-1, an ubiquitin-like protein, into the pathogenic mechanisms of AD and other neurodegenerative diseases. Ubiquilin-1 has been shown to play a key role in the regulation of the levels, subcellular targeting, aggregation and degradation of various neurodegenerative disease-associated proteins. These include the amyloid precursor protein and presenilins that are intimately involved in the mechanisms of AD.