Evaluation of ASC as a therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Neuroinflammation is increasingly recognized as a central contributor to the pathogenesis and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), encoded by the PYCARD gene, plays a critical role in the formation of multiple inflammasomes, including NLRP3, a key mediator of inflammation signaling. Beyond its role in inflammasome formation, extracellular ASC specks have been shown to promote amyloid-β aggregation, showing a potential link between inflammation and plaque formation. In this review, we examine the role of ASC in AD pathology and highlight emerging tools to study ASC biology and strategies for ASC targeted drug discovery.