@article{09b2904985ce45f68580e0691de12c47,
title = "Could ecosystem management provide a new framework for Alzheimer's disease?",
abstract = "Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder that involves a plethora of molecular pathways. In the context of therapeutic treatment and biomarker profiling, the amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide constitutes an interesting research avenue that involves interactions within a complex mixture of Aβ alloforms and other disease-modifying factors. Here, we explore the potential of an ecosystem paradigm as a novel way to consider AD and Aβ dynamics in particular. We discuss the example that the complexity of the Aβ network not only exhibits interesting parallels with the functioning of complex systems such as ecosystems but that this analogy can also provide novel insights into the neurobiological phenomena in AD and serve as a communication tool. We propose that combining network medicine with general ecosystem management principles could be a new and holistic approach to understand AD pathology and design novel therapies.",
keywords = "AD therapy, Alzheimer's disease, Amyloid-beta peptide, Aβ alloform, Communication, Ecosystem management, Eutrophication, Network medicine, Spatiotemporal dynamics",
author = "Ellen Hubin and Bram Vanschoenwinkel and Kerensa Broersen and {De Deyn}, {Peter P.} and Nico Koedam and {van Nuland}, {Nico A.} and Kris Pauwels",
note = "Funding Information: The authors thank Vinod Subramaniam, Peter Tompa and Teus van Laar for carefully reading the article and helpful suggestions. E.H. was supported by a FWO doctoral fellowship. N.A.V.N. is supported by the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie and the Flemish Hercules Foundation. K.P. is the recipient of a FWO Pegasus long-term postdoctoral fellowship and a pilot grant from the Stichting Alzheimer Onderzoek (SAO-FRA). K.B. is supported by a grant from the Internationale Stichting Alzheimer Onderzoek (ISAO), an Odysseus II award from FWO, a UTWIST fellowship, and a ZonMw Memorabel grant. P.P.D.D. is supported by a research grant of the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO), Interuniversity Poles of Attraction (IAP Network P7/16) of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office, Institute Born-Bunge and University of Antwerp, the Medical Research Foundation Antwerp, the Thomas Riellaerts research fund, and Neurosearch Antwerp. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 The Alzheimer's Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.",
year = "2016",
month = sep,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1016/j.jalz.2015.07.491",
language = "English",
volume = "12",
pages = "65--74.e1",
journal = "Alzheimer's & dementia",
issn = "1552-5260",
publisher = "Elsevier",
number = "1",
}