RESUMO
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease are fatal neurological diseases that can be of idiopathic, genetic, or even infectious origin, as in the case of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. The etiological factors that lead to neurodegeneration remain unknown but likely involve a combination of aging, genetic risk factors, and environmental stressors. Accumulating evidence hints at an association of viruses with neurodegenerative disorders and suggests that virus-induced neuroinflammation and perturbation of neuronal protein quality control can be involved in the early steps of disease development. In this review, we focus on emerging evidence for a correlation between NDs and viral infection and discuss how viral manipulations of cellular processes can affect the formation and dissemination of disease-associated protein aggregates.
Assuntos
Doenças Neurodegenerativas , Doenças Priônicas , Vírus , Envelhecimento , Crime , HumanosRESUMO
Neurodegenerative diseases are associated with misfolding of proteins into highly-ordered amyloid fibrils. These protein aggregates can be transmitted to other cells in which they induce aggregation of proteins of the same kind. Mechanisms of intercellular transfer include direct cell contact or transfer of aggregates within extracellular vesicles. Recent research suggests that viral proteins can increase the intercellular spreading of protein aggregation by promoting the required membrane interactions.
