Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2017
Abstract
The prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), has been progressively increasing each year, in which AD is now the sixth leading cause of death in the United States (Alzheimer's Association, 2017). The effects of neurodegenerative diseases present a massive challenge for society and health care systems globally, and as a result, examining the pathogenesis of these diseases have been a common aim throughout past literature. Nonetheless, the molecular mechanisms that underlie neurodegenerative diseases are still fundamentally undetermined, yet studying to understand the pathogeneses can provide extensive information for the development of curative treatments. In particular, fully understanding the protein eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF2) can provide insight into the molecular pathways that may give rise to neurodegenerative disorders. Through the critical review of two research articles, this paper investigates the association between eIF2 and neurodegenerative diseases, specifically AD and prion disease, in efforts to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie these disorders. Through critically analyzing Ma et al. (2013) and Moreno et al. (2012), it is evident that the eIF2 pathway plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of these neurodegenerative disorders. Incorporating the findings from both studies together, it can be proposed that with further research, the proteins within the eIF2 process can possibly be used as targets for novel therapies to treat these disorders. These two articles provide vast future directions for further research to extend upon, in order to reveal more regarding the significance of eIF2 signalling in mitigating synaptic failure, neuronal loss, behavioural dysfunctions, and ultimately battle the massive global challenge that is presented by neurodegenerative diseases.