Oxidative stress in Alzheimer's disease

Oxidative balance is emerging as an important issue in understanding the pa thogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Examination of Alzheimer's disease brain has demonstrated a great deal of oxidative damage, associated with both ha llmark pathologies (senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles) as well as in normal appearing pyramidal neurons. While this suggests that oxidative s tress is a proximal event in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis, the mechanis ms by which redox balance is altered in the disease remains elusive. Determ ining which of the proposed sources of free radicals, which include mitocho ndrial dysfunction, amyloid-beta-mediated processes, transition metal accum ulation and genetic factors like apolipoprotein E and presenilins, is respo nsible for redox imbalance will. lead to a better understanding of Alzheime r's disease pathogenesis and novel therapeutic approaches. (C) 2000 Elsevie r Science B.V. All rights reserved.