The contributing role of CCR5 in dementia

TL;DR

This review explores how CCR5 contributes to dementia and suggests that inhibiting CCR5 could help treat dementia-related diseases.

Contribution

The paper proposes CCR5 inhibition as a novel therapeutic target for dementia-related conditions.

Findings

CCR5 is involved in regulating synaptic plasticity and affects learning and memory.

CCR5 is linked to several dementia types, including Alzheimer’s and HIV-related neurocognitive impairment.

Inhibiting CCR5 may offer a potential treatment for dementia.

Abstract

Dementia is a syndrome of impaired brain function in which cognitive functions such as memory, language, attention, direction, and judgment are impaired, affecting or interfering with daily functioning. As dementia becomes more widespread, it is crucial to investigate the underlying mechanisms that contribute to cognitive decline. C-C chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) has been extensively researched for its role in immune responses and function as a co-receptor in HIV infection. Current research indicates that CCR5, which acts as a regulator of synaptic plasticity, is involved in modulating various forms of learning and memory. Most studies suggest that CCR5 generally has a detrimental effect on diseases associated with dementia. This review seeks to deliver an extensive analysis of CCR5’s role in cognitive processes by summarizing existing literature from both animal and human studies. It will cover the involvement of CCR5 in standard learning and memory functions, as well as in various types of dementia. The review will specifically address conditions such as HIV-related neurocognitive impairment (HAND), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), stroke, vascular dementia, multiple sclerosis (MS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and Parkinson’s disease with dementia (PDD). Based on the fact that CCR5 plays a contributing role in many diseases that cause dementia, this review also proposed CCR5 inhibition as a possible target for alleviating and ameliorating dementia.

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