Inflammation in Alzheimer's disease: relevance to pathogenesis and therapy

Evidence for the involvement of inflammatory processes in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been documented for a long time. However, the inflammation hypothesis in relation to AD pathology has emerged relatively recently. Even in this hypothesis, the inflammatory reaction is still considered to be a downstream effect of the accumulated proteins (amyloid beta (Abeta) and tau). This review aims to highlight the importance of the immune processes involved in AD pathogenesis based on the outcomes of the two major inflammation-relevant treatment strategies against AD developed and tested to date in animal studies and human clinical trials - the use of anti-inflammatory drugs and immunisation against Abeta.