Cholesterol’s Function and Origin in the Alzheimer’s Disease Brain

Article type: Article Commentary

Authors: Hansen, Scott B.^{; *}

Affiliations: Department of Molecular Medicine and Department of Neuroscience, UF Scripps, Jupiter, FL, USA

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Scott B. Hansen, Department of Molecular Medicine and Department of Neuroscience, UF Scripps, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA. E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with neuroinflammation and altered lipids in the brain. Cholesterol is a key component of inflammatory lipids. However, the role of cholesterol in AD, specifically in sporadic or late-onset AD, has remained poorly understood due to the belief that most brain cholesterol is separate from circulating blood cholesterol. A new theory suggests that the permeation of circulating cholesterol into the brain is a causal event critical for the onset of AD. As research in this area continues, new hypotheses and insights into AD are expected to emerge.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, apoE, blood-brain barrier, cholesterol, lipids, neuroinflammation

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-230538

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 94, no. 2, pp. 471-472, 2023