Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Advertisement

Nature Precedings
  • View all journals
  • Search
  • My Account Login
  • Content Explore content
  • About the journal
  • RSS feed
  1. nature
  2. nature precedings
  3. articles
  4. article
Neurodegeneration: Potential Causes, Prevention, and Future Treatment Options
Download PDF
Download PDF
  • Manuscript
  • Open access
  • Published: 06 September 2011

Neurodegeneration: Potential Causes, Prevention, and Future Treatment Options

  • Zhongtao Zhang1 

Nature Precedings (2011)Cite this article

  • 2237 Accesses

  • 3 Citations

  • 2 Altmetric

  • Metrics details

Abstract

Here I advance a hypothesis that neurodegeneration is a natural process associated with aging due to the loss of genetic redundancy following a mathematical model R(t) = R0(1-αe(βC+γI+δEt)t), where the calorie intake (C) and immune response (I) play critical roles. The early onset of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease is due to metabolic imbalance or chronic immune reactions to various infections. Therefore, the potential treatment options for neurodegenerative diseases are to modulate metabolism and immune response.

Similar content being viewed by others

Antiageing strategy for neurodegenerative diseases: from mechanisms to clinical advances

Article Open access 10 March 2025

Role of neuroinflammation in neurodegeneration development

Article Open access 12 July 2023

Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer disease

Article 09 December 2024

Article PDF

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. New York Medical College https://www.nature.com/nature

    Zhongtao Zhang

Authors
  1. Zhongtao Zhang
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhongtao Zhang.

Rights and permissions

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zhang, Z. Neurodegeneration: Potential Causes, Prevention, and Future Treatment Options. Nat Prec (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/npre.2011.6324.1

Download citation

  • Received: 03 September 2011

  • Accepted: 06 September 2011

  • Published: 06 September 2011

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/npre.2011.6324.1

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Keywords

  • neurodegenerative disease
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Parkinson's Disease
  • protein aggregation
  • synuclein
Download PDF

Advertisement

Explore content

  • Research articles
  • News & Comment
  • Sign up for alerts
  • RSS feed

About the journal

  • Journal Information

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

  • Explore articles by subject
  • Find a job
  • Guide to authors
  • Editorial policies

Nature Precedings (Nat Preced)

nature.com sitemap

About Nature Portfolio

  • About us
  • Press releases
  • Press office
  • Contact us

Discover content

  • Journals A-Z
  • Articles by subject
  • protocols.io
  • Nature Index

Publishing policies

  • Nature portfolio policies
  • Open access

Author & Researcher services

  • Reprints & permissions
  • Research data
  • Language editing
  • Scientific editing
  • Nature Masterclasses
  • Research Solutions

Libraries & institutions

  • Librarian service & tools
  • Librarian portal
  • Open research
  • Recommend to library

Advertising & partnerships

  • Advertising
  • Partnerships & Services
  • Media kits
  • Branded content

Professional development

  • Nature Awards
  • Nature Careers
  • Nature Conferences

Regional websites

  • Nature Africa
  • Nature China
  • Nature India
  • Nature Japan
  • Nature Middle East
  • Privacy Policy
  • Use of cookies
  • Legal notice
  • Accessibility statement
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Your US state privacy rights
Springer Nature

© 2025 Springer Nature Limited

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing