The Role of Neuroinflammation in Age-Related Dementias

Héctor E. López-Valdés, Research Division, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
Hilda Martínez-Coria, Research Division, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico

The most common dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia are associated with a decline in cognitive and social abilities. Although the molecular mechanisms of tissue damage in these dementias are not completely understood, these neurodegenerative illnesses share certain alterations such as neuroinflammation and gliosis. Increasing evidence suggests that microgliosis and astrogliosis play a key role in neuroinflammation observed in these dementias. Here we provide an overview of the participation of microglia and astrocytes in the neuroinflammatory response in common dementias.

Keywords: Neuroinflammation. Dementia. Aging. Gliosis.