Linking lipids to Alzheimer's disease: cholesterol and beyond

Lipid dysregulation seems to be crucially involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Not only do a wide variety of lipids participate in the regulation of amyloidogenesis but amyloid-β itself regulates lipid metabolism, thus offering novel opportunities for therapeutic intervention. Lipid-mediated signalling regulates a plethora of physiological processes, including crucial aspects of brain function. In addition, dysregulation of lipid pathways has been implicated in a growing number of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although much attention has been given to the link between cholesterol and AD pathogenesis, growing evidence suggests that other lipids, such as phosphoinositides and phosphatidic acid, have an important role. Regulators of lipid metabolism (for example, statins) are a highly successful class of marketed drugs, and exploration of lipid dysregulation in AD and identification of novel therapeutic agents acting through relevant lipid pathways offers new and effective options for the treatment of this devastating disorder.