ARUK 2018 | AMPK and aging: a link to Alzheimer’s disease?

The AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) pathway has been implicated in aging for several model organisms, including C. elegans and Drosophila. Here, Grahame Hardie, FRS, FRSE, FMedSci, of the University of Dundee, Dundee, UK, gives an overview of a talk he gave at the Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK) Conference 2018, held in London, UK, which explored the protective role of AMPK against aging. This research has big implications for understanding age-related neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Prof. Hardie discusses future directions for investigating this link, as well as the problems researchers face when translating work on model organisms into humans.