Potential role of presenilin-regulated signaling pathways in sporadic neurodegeneration

Neurodegenerative diseases can be genetic or sporadic in origin. Genetic analysis has changed the study of the pathogenesis of these disorders by showing the causative functions of rare mutations. Yet, in the most common age-associated neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, the causes of neurodegeneration remain to be clarified. The observations that presenilin modulates proteolysis and turnover of several signaling molecules have led to speculations that pathways that are important in development may contribute to neurodegeneration. In this article, the possibility that these presenilin-regulated molecules may contribute to neurodegeneration is reviewed.