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Review
. 2023 Feb 6;24(4):3200.
doi: 10.3390/ijms24043200.

The Nerve Growth Factor Receptor (NGFR/p75NTR): A Major Player in Alzheimer's Disease

Francesco Bruno  1 , Paolo Abondio  2   3 , Alberto Montesanto  4 , Donata Luiselli  2 , Amalia C Bruni  1 , Raffaele Maletta  1
Affiliations
Review

The Nerve Growth Factor Receptor (NGFR/p75NTR): A Major Player in Alzheimer's Disease

Francesco Bruno et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents the most prevalent type of dementia in elderly people, primarily characterized by brain accumulation of beta-amyloid (Aβ) peptides, derived from Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP), in the extracellular space (amyloid plaques) and intracellular deposits of the hyperphosphorylated form of the protein tau (p-tau; tangles or neurofibrillary aggregates). The Nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR/p75NTR) represents a low-affinity receptor for all known mammalians neurotrophins (i.e., proNGF, NGF, BDNF, NT-3 e NT-4/5) and it is involved in pathways that determine both survival and death of neurons. Interestingly, also Aβ peptides can blind to NGFR/p75NTR making it the "ideal" candidate in mediating Aβ-induced neuropathology. In addition to pathogenesis and neuropathology, several data indicated that NGFR/p75NTR could play a key role in AD also from a genetic perspective. Other studies suggested that NGFR/p75NTR could represent a good diagnostic tool, as well as a promising therapeutic target for AD. Here, we comprehensively summarize and review the current experimental evidence on this topic.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; NGFR; amyloid-beta; diagnosis; expression; nerve growth factor receptor; neuropathology; p75NTR; signaling pathways; treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Structure of NGFR/p75NTR isoforms.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effects caused by the binding of Aβ1−42, NGF, proNGF and APP to NGFR/p75NTR in Alzheimer’s disease.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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