2015/06/29 by Yu-Ju Liu, Yu‐Ju Liu, Yijuang Chern
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Medicine · #Biochemical Acid Research Studies #Metabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer #Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
paper · doi:10.3109/01677063.2015.1067203
openalex publication_date 2015/06/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/27
The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a serine/threonine kinase that functions as a key energy sensor in a wide variety of tissues. This kinase has been a major drug target for metabolic diseases (e.g., type 2 diabetes) and cancers. For example, metformin (an activator of AMPK) is a first-line diabetes drug that protects against cancers. Abnormal regulation of AMPK has been implicated in several brain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and stroke. Given the emerging importance of neurodegenerative diseases in our aging societies, this review features the recent studies that have delineated the functions of AMPK in brain diseases and discusses their potential clinical implications or roles as drug targets in brain diseases.