Autoantibodies in Alzheimer's disease: potential biomarkers, pathogenic roles, and therapeutic implications

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a prevalent and debilitating neurodegenerative disorder in the elderly. The etiology of AD has not been fully defined and currently there is no cure for this devastating disease. Compelling evidence sug-gests that the immune system plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of AD. Autoantibodies against a variety- of molecules have been associated with AD. The roles of these autoantibodies in AD, however, are not well -understood.This review attempts to summarize recent findings on these autoantibodies and explore their potential as diagnostic/ prognostic biomarkers for AD, their roles in the pathogenesis of AD, and their implications in the development of effective immunotherapies for AD.