Neurodegenerative disorders: from molecules to man (part 1)

2007

Neurons are typically post-mitotic cells. This means that they are expected to have a life span comparable to that of their carriers. Unfortunately, sometimes, they die prematurely as a result of complex processes known as “neurodegeneration”. Neurodegenerative diseases are now generally considered a group of disorders that seriously and progressively impair the functions of the nervous system through causing the selective neuronal vulnerability of specific brain regions. Neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer Disease (AD), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and prion disease represent several distinct categories of disease and each manifests its own unique symptoms. …