P2RX7 and Alzheimer disease: Moreover, ex vivo research in animal models for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), showed a correlation between pro-inflammatory cytokines, upregulated P2X7 expression and increased ATP sensitivity, suggesting P2X7 as a potential target for therapeutic interventions countering neuroinflammation (Parvathenani et al., 2003; Sanz et al., 2009).