Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes(T2D) and vice versa, and a growing body of evidence indicates that these diseases are connected both at epidemiological, clinical and molecular levels. Recent studies have begun to reveal common pathogenic mechanisms shared by AD and type 2 diabetes. Impaired neuronal insulin signaling and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress are present in animal models of AD, similar to observations in peripheral tissue in T2D. These findings shed light into mechanisms leading to brain dysfunction of AD in T2D patients. Here, we review the literatures on selected mechanisms shared between these diseases and discuss how the identification of such mechanisms may lead to novel therapeutic targets in AD.

Key words: Alzheimer's disease, Diabetes, Insulin resistance, Inflammation, Gangliosides, mTOR