You may read previous post (Part 1):
- Factors Causing the Late Onset Alzheimer's Diseases – Part 1 - Alzheimer’s 7
In our brain, APOE is mainly produced by astrocyte. Then, diseases associate with APOE may include:
- Parkinson's Disease
- Vascular Dementia
- Type 2 Diabetes Melitus
- Ischemia Stroke
- Type III Hyperlipoproteinemia.
In the late onset Alzheimer's disease, there are three type APOEs:
- APOE3 the most common variant and is considered neutral
- APOE4 is associated with a greater risk.
The function of APOE is to regulate lipid transport from one cell type or tissue to another.
In our brain, APOE is mainly produced by astrocyte and its function is to transport cholesterol to our nerve cell (neuron) in the brain.
Whenever an imbalance between the production and clearance of beta-amyloid peptide in our brain, thus, the accumulation and aggregation of beta-amyloid will be occurred. This become a toxic in our brain.
This toxicity also depends on the paired helical filaments of the microtubuli-associated protein tau.
So, in the in the late onset Alzheimer's disease, the toxic in the brain destroy the nice balancing of healthy brain, prominently the two proteins which are called beta-amyloid and tau.
# Previous postings:
- Why the Moon Has Thousands of Small Aliens? - Part 2 – Science 7
- Traditional Books versus Electronic Books for Children – Part 2 – Reading 3