Disruption of cellular transport: a common cause of neurodegeneration?

Summary In many cases, the clinical manifestations of inherited neurodegenerative disorders appear after decades of normal function, which suggests that neurons may die through cumulative damage. Several genes that cause these diseases have been identified in recent years, but no common pathogenetic mechanism has been found. However, the most recent studies have begun to implicate the same mechanism in a range of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly those that involve motor neurons. The results of these studies suggest that the morphology and energy requirements of neurons make them particularly susceptible to the disruption of cellular transport systems.