Research progress of TGF-β superfamily in Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease(AD)is a common neurodegenerative disease and is mainly attributed to the accumulation of amyloid plaques and the spread of Tau pathology.Transforming growth factor beta(TGF-β)superfamily consists of several groups of highly conserved multifunctional signaling proteins orchestrating many physiological processes including cell-cycle control,differentiation and immune functions.TGF-β superfamily has neuroprotective functions and plays a key role in multiple aspects of AD pathological changes,including Aβ deposition,Tau phosphorylation,hippocampal neurogenesis,and synaptic plasticity disorders.Multiple TGF-β superfamily members have been shown to significantly delay the course of disease and improve cognitive dysfunction in AD models.This study systematically reviewed the recent progress of TGF-β superfamily in the pathology of AD to reveal its tremendous potential on the research of AD.