The role of cell cycle-mediated events in Alzheimer's disease

The mechanism(s) underlying selective neuronal death in Alzheimer's disease remain unresolved. However, recently, we and others showed that susceptibl e hippocampal neurones in Alzheimer's disease express markers common to cel ls in various phases of the cell cycle. Since neuronal maturation is associ ated with effective escape from the cell division cycle, emergence out of q uiescence may he deleterious. Here, we review a number of current findings indicating that disregulated ectopic re-activation of cell cycle-mediated e vents, akin to neoplasia, represent an important early pathway associated w ith neuronal death and, more importantly, one that involves virtually the e ntire spectrum of the pathological events described in Alzheimer's disease.