CD2AP at the junction of nephropathy and Alzheimer's disease.

Polymorphisms in the gene encoding CD2-associated protein (CD2AP) are associated with an increased risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). Intriguingly, variants in the gene also cause a pattern of kidney injury termed focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Recent studies have investigated the cell types and mechanisms by which CD2AP gene dosage contributes to the key pathological features of AD.

Loss of endothelial CD2AP causes sex-dependent cerebrovascular dysfunction.

Polymorphisms in CD2-associated protein (CD2AP) predispose to Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we show that loss of CD2AP in cerebral blood vessels is associated with cognitive decline in AD subjects and that genetic downregulation of CD2AP in brain vascular endothelial cells impairs memory function in male mice. Animals with reduced brain endothelial CD2AP display altered blood flow regulation at rest and during neurovascular coupling, defects in mural cell activity, and an abnormal vascular sex-dependent response to Aβ.