The pathology of neurodegenerative diseases involves multiple cellular mechanisms: - Protein Misfolding: Abnormal folding and aggregation of proteins such as amyloid-beta in Alzheimer’s disease and alpha-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease. - Mitochondrial Dysfunction: Impaired mitochondrial function can lead to decreased ATP production and increased oxidative stress. - Autophagy and Lysosomal Dysfunction: Defects in the autophagy pathway can cause the accumulation of damaged cellular components. - Inflammation: Chronic neuroinflammation mediated by microglia and astrocytes contributes to neuronal damage.
