The forgotten APOE allele: A review of the evidence and suggested mechanisms for the protective effect of APOE e2

Ongoing efforts to improve survival, and enhance quality of life have led biomedical research to focus on disease and the mechanisms that increase risk for disease. The other side of that coin may be as important, i.e. examining the protective factors that allow some individuals to enjoy long, healt...

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Main Authors: Suri, S, Heise, V, Trachtenberg, A, Mackay, C
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2013
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author Suri, S
Heise, V
Trachtenberg, A
Mackay, C
author_facet Suri, S
Heise, V
Trachtenberg, A
Mackay, C
author_sort Suri, S
collection OXFORD
description Ongoing efforts to improve survival, and enhance quality of life have led biomedical research to focus on disease and the mechanisms that increase risk for disease. The other side of that coin may be as important, i.e. examining the protective factors that allow some individuals to enjoy long, healthy lives. One of the best examples of a gene that positively influences cognitive health is the apolipoprotein (APOE) e2 allele. The APOE e4 allele is a well-established risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and has thus dominated the APOE literature, with the putative protective role of e2 receiving little attention. This review describes the effects of APOE e2 on the structure and function of the brain. With a focus on neurodegeneration, we discuss evidence for APOE e2's protective effects, explore some key mechanisms through which this protection may be conferred, and address a few inconsistencies in the literature. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie the association between APOE e2, cognition and longevity may provide new targets for research on promoting life-long health. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.
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spelling oxford-uuid:0da3c899-cb15-4a14-a067-963e1e4c01a22022-03-26T09:41:41ZThe forgotten APOE allele: A review of the evidence and suggested mechanisms for the protective effect of APOE e2Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:0da3c899-cb15-4a14-a067-963e1e4c01a2EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2013Suri, SHeise, VTrachtenberg, AMackay, COngoing efforts to improve survival, and enhance quality of life have led biomedical research to focus on disease and the mechanisms that increase risk for disease. The other side of that coin may be as important, i.e. examining the protective factors that allow some individuals to enjoy long, healthy lives. One of the best examples of a gene that positively influences cognitive health is the apolipoprotein (APOE) e2 allele. The APOE e4 allele is a well-established risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and has thus dominated the APOE literature, with the putative protective role of e2 receiving little attention. This review describes the effects of APOE e2 on the structure and function of the brain. With a focus on neurodegeneration, we discuss evidence for APOE e2's protective effects, explore some key mechanisms through which this protection may be conferred, and address a few inconsistencies in the literature. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie the association between APOE e2, cognition and longevity may provide new targets for research on promoting life-long health. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.
spellingShingle Suri, S
Heise, V
Trachtenberg, A
Mackay, C
The forgotten APOE allele: A review of the evidence and suggested mechanisms for the protective effect of APOE e2
title The forgotten APOE allele: A review of the evidence and suggested mechanisms for the protective effect of APOE e2
title_full The forgotten APOE allele: A review of the evidence and suggested mechanisms for the protective effect of APOE e2
title_fullStr The forgotten APOE allele: A review of the evidence and suggested mechanisms for the protective effect of APOE e2
title_full_unstemmed The forgotten APOE allele: A review of the evidence and suggested mechanisms for the protective effect of APOE e2
title_short The forgotten APOE allele: A review of the evidence and suggested mechanisms for the protective effect of APOE e2
title_sort forgotten apoe allele a review of the evidence and suggested mechanisms for the protective effect of apoe e2
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