From tau to toxicity: Emerging roles of NMDA receptor in Alzheimer's disease

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Chohan, Muhammad Omar^{; *} | Iqbal, Khalid

Affiliations: Department of Neurochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, New York 10314-6399, USA

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: Glutamate toxicity through NMDA receptor channels has long been central to the understanding of acute neuronal injury. Recent studies implicate similar events in chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we analyze some of the most intriguing evidence for NMDA receptor-mediated cellular dysfunction and propose a mechanism by which hyperactive NMDA receptors might lead to neurofibrillary degeneration in Alzheimer's disease.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, tau, hyperphosphorylation, glutamate toxicity, NMDA receptors, memantine

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-2006-10112

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 81-87, 2006