Specificity of T Cell Responses in Autosomal Dominant Alzheimer’s Disease (ADAD)

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common contributor to dementia in the United States. AD is a disorder in which the aggregation and accumulation of amyloid beta and tau play key roles in pathogenesis. Autosomal-dominant Alzheimer’s disease (ADAD), or Dominantly Inherited AD (DIAD), is a rare form of AD, and affected individuals typically develop dementia at an early age (~30-50 years). In addition to protein aggregation and brain atrophy, increasing evidence supports the role of the immune system in AD. Our recent studies in late-onset AD (LOAD) patients challenge the basic proposition of AD pathogenesis, including the notion that the innate immune system is the major mediator of neuroinflammation and degeneration. The DIAN observational cohort provides a unique opportunity to assess the potential role of the adaptive immune response in a genetically determined form of AD. In this regard, we are proposing to assess the adaptive immune system in ADAD as it will both enhance our understanding of pathogenesis and the early events of immune disturbance as well as suggest novel therapeutic approaches.