The role of UNC5C in Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disease in adults characterized by the deposition of extracellular plaques of β-amyloid protein (Aβ), intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), synaptic loss and neuronal apoptosis. AD has a strong and complex genetic component that involving into multiple genes. With recent advances in whole-exome sequencing (WES) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) technology, UNC5C was identified to have association with AD. Emerging studies on cell and animal models identified that aberrant UNC5C may contribute to AD by activating death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) which is a new component involved in AD pathogenesis with an extensive involvement in aberrant tau, Aβ and neuronal apoptosis/autophagy. In this review, we briefly summarize the biochemical properties, genetics, epigenetics, and the speculative role of UNC5C in AD. We hope our review would bring comprehensive understandings of AD pathogenesis and provide new therapeutic targets for AD.