Unravelling the glial response in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, incurable neurodegenerative disease targeting specific neuronal populations within the brain whilst neighbouring neurons appear unaffected. The focus for defining mechanisms has therefore been on the pathogenesis in affected neuronal populations and developing intervention strategies to prevent their cell death. However there is growing recognition of the importance of glial cells in the development of pathology. Determining exactly how glial cells are involved in the disease process and the susceptibility of the ageing brain provides unprecedented challenges. In this review we will examine recent studies attempting to unravel the glial response during the course of disease and how this may dictate the outcome of neurodegeneration. The importance of regional heterogeneity of glial cells within the CNS during healthy ageing and disease is examined to understand how the glial cells may contribute to neuronal susceptibility or resilience during the neurodegenerative process.