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Figure 12 | Acta Neuropathologica Communications

Figure 12

From: Dysfunction of the mTOR pathway is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease

Figure 12

Causes and consequences of mTOR activation in the brain. Vascular disease, diabetes, elevated plasma homocysteine levels, trauma and ageing (all risk factor for AD) can elicit the various extracellular signals that can activate mTORC1. Normally, the activation of downstream signals would ensure cell survival and damage repair. However, the dysfunction of the downstream effector pathways, du to genetic variation, will lead to aberrant responses to mTOR activation in the brain, leading to AD-type pathology, neuronal death and glial activation. Abbreviations: Homocysteine (Hcy); Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTK); Insulin receptor (INSR); Protein Kinase C (PKC); Extracellular Signal Regulated Kinase (ERK); (Ras); Protein kinase B (AKT); Neurofibrillary tangle (NFT; Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP).

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