Is Alzheimer's disease a Type 3 Diabetes? A critical appraisal

Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2017 May;1863(5):1078-1089. doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2016.08.018. Epub 2016 Aug 25.

Abstract

Recently researchers proposed the term 'Type-3-Diabetes' for Alzheimer's disease (ad) because of the shared molecular and cellular features among Type-1-Diabetes, Type-2-Diabetes and insulin resistance associated with memory deficits and cognitive decline in elderly individuals. Recent clinical and basic studies on patients with diabetes and AD revealed previously unreported cellular and pathological among diabetes, insulin resistance and AD. These studies are also strengthened by various basic biological studies that decipher the effects of insulin in the pathology of AD through cellular and molecular mechanisms. For instance, insulin is involved in the activation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β, which in turn causes phosphorylation of tau, which involved in the formation of neurofibrillary tangles. Interestingly, insulin also plays a crucial role in the formation amyloid plaques. In this review, we discussed significant shared mechanisms between AD and diabetes and we also provided therapeutic avenues for diabetes and AD. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Quality in Diabetes/Obesity and Critical Illness Spectrum of Diseases - edited by P. Hemachandra Reddy.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; BMI; GSK3β; MCI amyloid beta; Obesity; Tau; Type-3-Diabetes; diabetes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / classification
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism*
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology
  • Amyloid / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Diabetes Mellitus / classification
  • Diabetes Mellitus / metabolism*
  • Diabetes Mellitus / pathology
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Insulin / metabolism*
  • Phosphorylation
  • tau Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Amyloid
  • Insulin
  • MAPT protein, human
  • tau Proteins
  • GSK3B protein, human
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta