Kinases and Phosphatases in Alzheimer's Disease

A Special Issue of Kinases and Phosphatases (ISSN 2813-3757).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2026 | Viewed by 594

Editor


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Guest Editor
1. NeuroAging Group (NEURAL), Clinical Neurosciences Research Laboratory (LINC), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
2. Clinical University Hospital (CHUS), SERGAS, Travesía da Choupana, S/N, Santiago de Compostela, 15706 A Coruña, Spain
Interests: sphingolipids; cancer; inflammation; signaling pathways; neurosciences; Alzheimer’s disease; memory
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Protein phosphorylation is a central mechanism regulating neuronal function, synaptic plasticity, and survival. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), dysregulation of kinases and phosphatases critically contributes to the abnormal phosphorylation of tau, the dysfunction of amyloid precursor protein processing, and neuroinflammatory signaling. Numerous kinases, including glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5), and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), drive hyperphosphorylation of tau and other neuronal substrates, while the reduced activity of key phosphatases such as protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) exacerbates tau pathology and synaptic loss.

Emerging evidence reveals that this dysregulation extends beyond neurons to glial cells and the neurovascular unit. In astrocytes and microglia, kinases and phosphatases modulate inflammatory cascades, cytokine release, and synaptic pruning. Similarly, endothelial and pericytic signaling through kinases such as Src, protein kinase B (also known as AKT), and Adenosine Monophosphate-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) influences blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity, vascular inflammation, and transport of neurotoxic proteins. These interconnected processes highlight the central role of phospho-signaling in shaping the neuron–glia–vascular triad that determines AD progression.

This Special Issue seeks to bring together studies investigating the roles of kinases and phosphatases in neuronal, glial, and vascular compartments of the brain in AD and related tauopathies. We welcome research exploring molecular mechanisms, multi-omics analyses, translational models, and therapeutic interventions targeting kinase/phosphatase pathways to restore phospho-homeostasis and preserve brain connectivity and barrier function.

Dr. Alberto Ouro
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • kinases
  • phosphatases
  • tau phosphorylation
  • GSK-3β
  • CDK5
  • PP2A
  • glia
  • astrocytes
  • microglia
  • blood–brain barrier
  • neuroinflammation
  • neurovascular unit
  • therapeutic targets

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

33 pages, 19992 KB  
Article
LRRK2 Kinase Inhibitor PF-06447475 Protects Against Alzheimer’s Disease-Associated Pathology in PSEN1 I416T Cholinergic-like Neurons
by Nicolas Gomez-Sequeda, Marlene Jimenez-Del-Rio and Carlos Velez-Pardo
Kinases Phosphatases 2026, 4(3), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/kinasesphosphatases4030027 - 18 Sep 2026
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Abstract
Familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD) is an accelerated form of dementia affecting cholinergic neurons. Despite several efforts, no single drug or treatment has demonstrated complete efficacy. Therefore, finding effective therapeutic agents is imperative. Previous studies have shown that the PSEN1 I416T variant induces FAD-like [...] Read more.
Familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD) is an accelerated form of dementia affecting cholinergic neurons. Despite several efforts, no single drug or treatment has demonstrated complete efficacy. Therefore, finding effective therapeutic agents is imperative. Previous studies have shown that the PSEN1 I416T variant induces FAD-like neuropathology in cholinergic-like neurons (ChLNs), characterized by the intracellular accumulation of the Aβ (iAβ) peptide, the oxidation of the stress sensor protein DJ-1, the abnormal phosphorylation of the tau protein at serine 202/threonine 205 (pS202/T205), the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and activation of the pro-apoptotic proteins tumor protein 53 (TP53), Jun proto-oncogene, AP-1 transcription factor subunit (c-JUN), p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA), and cleaved caspase-3 (CC3). We report for the first time that PSEN1 I416T induces abnormal phosphorylation of Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) kinase at residue serine 935 (S935), concomitant with phosphorylated alpha-synuclein (αSYN) at residue serine 129 (S129) and abnormal accumulation of autophagosomes and atypical increase in vesicular lysosomal pH, thereby provoking a profound alteration in autophagy in ChLNs. Here, we also demonstrate for the first time that the potent LRRK2 inhibitor PF-06447475 (hereafter referred to as PF475) almost completely attenuated PSEN1 I416T-induced proteinopathy, oxidative stress (OS), and apoptosis and improve autophagy to an activity comparable to untreated wild-type (WT) ChLNs. Overall, PF475 restored the survival of mutant ChLNs. Taken together, these findings suggest that PF475 is an excellent pharmacological tool with which to investigate the regulation of LRRK2-associated pathological signaling in the PSEN1 I416T familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD) model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Kinases and Phosphatases in Alzheimer's Disease)
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