BACKGROUND: Synaptic dysfunction is a major contributor to Alzheimeŕs disease (AD) pathogenesis in addition to the formation of neuritic β-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated Tau protein. However, how these features contribute to synaptic dysfunction and axonal loss remains unclear. While years of considerable effort have been devoted to gaining an improved understanding of this devastating disease, the unavailability of patient-derived tissues, considerable genetic heterogeneity, and lack of animal models that faithfully recapitulate human AD have hampered the development of effective treatment options. Ongoing progress in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) technology has permitted the derivation of patient- and disease-specific stem cells with unlimited self-renewal capacity. These cells can differentiate into AD-affected cell types, which support studies of disease mechanisms, drug discovery, and the development of cell replacement therapies in traditional and advanced cell culture models. AIM OF REVIEW: To summarize current hiPSC-based AD models, highlighting the associated achievements and challenges with a primary focus on neuron and synapse loss. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW: We aim to identify how hiPSC models can contribute to understanding AD-associated synaptic dysfunction and axonal loss. hiPSC-derived neural cells, astrocytes, and microglia, as well as more sophisticated cellular organoids, may represent reliable models to investigate AD and identify early markers of AD-associated neural degeneration.

• Klíčová slova
• Alzheimer's disease, Astrocytes, Brain organoids, Induced pluripotent stem cells, Microglia, Neural differentiation, Neuronal loss, Neurons,
• MeSH
• Alzheimerova nemoc * genetika   metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• amyloidní beta-protein genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• indukované pluripotentní kmenové buňky * metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• neurony metabolismus   MeSH
• synapse metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• amyloidní beta-protein MeSH

Damage or loss of brain cells and impaired neurochemistry, neurogenesis, and synaptic and nonsynaptic plasticity of the brain lead to dementia in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Injury to synapses and neurons and accumulation of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles are considered the main morphological and neuropathological features of AD. Age, genetic and epigenetic factors, environmental stressors, and lifestyle contribute to the risk of AD onset and progression. These risk factors are associated with structural and functional changes in the brain, leading to cognitive decline. Biomarkers of AD reflect or cause specific changes in brain function, especially changes in pathways associated with neurotransmission, neuroinflammation, bioenergetics, apoptosis, and oxidative and nitrosative stress. Even in the initial stages, AD is associated with Aβ neurotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and tau neurotoxicity. The integrative amyloid-tau-mitochondrial hypothesis assumes that the primary cause of AD is the neurotoxicity of Aβ oligomers and tau oligomers, mitochondrial dysfunction, and their mutual synergy. For the development of new efficient AD drugs, targeting the elimination of neurotoxicity, mutual potentiation of effects, and unwanted protein interactions of risk factors and biomarkers (mainly Aβ oligomers, tau oligomers, and mitochondrial dysfunction) in the early stage of the disease seems promising.

• Klíčová slova
• Alzheimer’s disease, amyloid beta, drug, mitochondria, tau protein,
• MeSH
• Alzheimerova nemoc * metabolismus   MeSH
• amyloid metabolismus   MeSH
• amyloidní beta-protein metabolismus   MeSH
• amyloidogenní proteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mitochondrie metabolismus   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• amyloid MeSH
• amyloidní beta-protein MeSH
• amyloidogenní proteiny MeSH

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. The risk of AD increases with age. Although two of the main pathological features of AD, amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, were already recognized by Alois Alzheimer at the beginning of the 20th century, the pathogenesis of the disease remains unsettled. Therapeutic approaches targeting plaques or tangles have not yet resulted in satisfactory improvements in AD treatment. This may, in part, be due to early-onset and late-onset AD pathogenesis being underpinned by different mechanisms. Most animal models of AD are generated from gene mutations involved in early onset familial AD, accounting for only 1% of all cases, which may consequently complicate our understanding of AD mechanisms. In this article, the authors discuss the pathogenesis of AD according to the two main neuropathologies, including senescence-related mechanisms and possible treatments using stem cells, namely mesenchymal and neural stem cells.

• Klíčová slova
• Alzheimer’s disease, Tau, amyloid-β, mesenchymal stem cells, neural stem cells,
• MeSH
• Alzheimerova nemoc etiologie   metabolismus   patologie   terapie   MeSH
• amyloidní beta-protein imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• amyloidní plaky metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• buněčná a tkáňová terapie * metody   MeSH
• energetický metabolismus MeSH
• imunoterapie metody   MeSH
• kmenové buňky cytologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• modely nemocí na zvířatech MeSH
• mutace MeSH
• neuroglie metabolismus   MeSH
• proteiny tau imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• stárnutí genetika   imunologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• transplantace kmenových buněk metody   MeSH
• věk při počátku nemoci MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• amyloidní beta-protein MeSH
• proteiny tau MeSH