Why Vitamin D in Alzheimer's Disease? The Hypothesis


Gezen-Ak D., Yilmazer S., Dursun E.

JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE, cilt.40, sa.2, ss.257-269, 2014 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 40 Sayı: 2
  • Basım Tarihi: 2014
  • Doi Numarası: 10.3233/jad-131970
  • Dergi Adı: JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.257-269
  • İstanbul Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Scientists have worked for over a century to uncover the basis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) with the ultimate goal of discovering a treatment. However, none of the approaches utilized have defined the exact cause of the disease or an ultimate treatment for AD. In this review, we aim to define the role of vitamin D in AD from a novel and fundamental perspective and attempt to answer the following question: Why should we seriously consider "simple" vitamin D as a "fundamental factor" in AD? To answer this question, we explain the protective effects of vitamin D in the central nervous system and how the action of vitamin D and AD-type pathology overlap. Furthermore, we suggest that the role of vitamin D in AD includes not only vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D-related genes but also the disruption of vitamin D metabolism and action. This suggestion is supported by evidence that the disruption of vitamin D pathways mimic amyloid pathology. We define the term "inefficient utilization of vitamin D" as any alteration in vitamin D-related genes, including receptors, the enzymes related to vitamin D metabolism or the transporters of vitamin D, and we discuss the potential correlation of vitamin D status with the vulnerability of neurons to aging and neurodegeneration. Finally, in addition to the current knowledge that defines AD, we suggest that AD could be the result of a long-term hormonal imbalance in which the critical hormone is vitamin D, a secosteroid that has long been misnamed.