MECHANISM OF DISEASE
Recent progress in the understanding of neurodegenerative diseases revealed that multiple molecular mechanisms contribute to pathological changes in neurons. A large fraction of these alterations can be linked to biochemical dysfunction in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria — physically and functionally interconnected via mitochondrial-associated membranes (MAM), which participate in Ca2+ signaling, lipid transport, energy metabolism and cell survival. Apart from their vital physical association coordinating pathways involved in cell life and death, any loss of communication in them complicates and worsens the prevailing conditions in neurodegenerative diseases like ALS and Alzheimer’s disease.
