Identifying Links between Alzheimer’s Disease and Type 2 Diabetes through Proteomics

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D)
are both
amyloidogenic, age-associated chronic diseases and their occurrences
are linked by epidemiological evidence and common dysregulated molecular
functions including glucose hypometabolism, dyslipidemias, and altered
insulin signaling. High-throughput molecular profiling of the genome
and transcriptome has advanced our understanding of their molecular
links; however, proteomic signatures may reveal novel biomarkers and
additional insights because proteins are the primary purveyors of
molecular function. Herein, the contributions to our understanding
of the molecular links between AD and T2D by high-throughput proteomics
are reviewed. Collectively, the studies highlight strong, but broad,
common molecular and metabolic signatures; however, more investigation
is needed to define shared mechanisms and identify robust biomarkers
and potential therapeutic targets.