As previously reported, PGC-1α and its significant downstream target genes are down-regulated in the AD brain (Qin et al., 2009) and the M17 cells over-expressing familial AD-causing APP mutant (APPswe) (Sheng et al., 2012), suggesting mitochondrial biogenesis is impaired in AD. This evidence concerns the gene PPARGC1A and Alzheimer disease.