Recent advance in relation between autophagy and Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition and tauprotein hyperphosphorylation, whereas its pathogenesis has not been fully known so far. The metabolism of Aβ and tau protein is critically affected by autophagy. In the early phase of AD, Aβ and tau protein can induce themselves to be eliminated via mTOR-dependent and independent autophagy pathways. In addition, transcription factors EB and apolipoprotein E4 also regulate autophagy and thus participate in the metabolism of Aβ and tau protein, affecting AD progression. This review summarized the roles of autophagy in the metabolism of Aβ and tau protein and the autophagy regulators closely related to AD in the recent studies. Key words: Autophagy; Alzheimer's disease; β-amyloid; Tau protein