Numerous experimental and postmortem studies have increasingly reported dystrophic axons and dendrites, and alterations of dendritic spine morphology and density in the hippocampus as prominent changes in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Furthermore, these alterations tend to correlate well with the progressive cognitive decline observed in AD. For these reasons, and because these neurite structures have a capacity to re-grow, re-establish lost connections, and are critical for learning and memory, there is compelling evidence to suggest that therapeutic interventions aimed at preventing their degradation or promoting their regrowth may hold tremendous promise in preventing the progression of AD. In this regard, collapsin response mediator proteins (CRMPs), a family of phosphoproteins playing a major role in axon guidance and dendritic growth, are especially interesting. The roles these proteins play in neurons and immune cells are reviewed here.
Keywords: Axon guidance; dendrite regeneration; hippocampus; memory.