Growing evidence has indicated the existence of deleterious networks i
n the brains of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's dis
ease. Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Huntingto
n's disease. The deleterious networks are formed on the basis of the i
ntimate interactions among the key pathogenic factors, including oxida
tive damage, aberrant calcium homeostasis, metabolic compromise and, u
nder certain circumstances, amyloid' precursor protein mismetabolism.
Based on the novel concept, 'deleterious network, a unifying hypothesi
s, the deleterious network hypothesis of neurodegenerative diseases, i
s proposed. This new theory stresses that the deleterious network is j
ust the common pathway of the degenerative disorders, triggering of wh
ich by aging, certain genetic or environmental factors leads to a casc
ade of pathological alterations of the illnesses. It appears that this
new theory has synthesized some most appealing hypotheses about neuro
degenerative illnesses, providing consistent explanations to a larger
number of observations about those diseases than other hypotheses. Bec
ause the disorders appear to result from the interactions among the ke
y detrimental factors, it is suggested that the patients of the neurod
egenerative diseases should be treated by combinative application of t
he drugs which can diminish peroxidative damage, calcium mismetabolism
and metabolic compromise.