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      The role and therapeutic targeting of α-, β- and γ-secretase in Alzheimer's disease

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          Abstract

          Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in the elderly and its prevalence is set to increase rapidly in coming decades. However, there are as yet no available drugs that can halt or even stabilize disease progression. One of the main pathological features of AD is the presence in the brain of senile plaques mainly composed of aggregated β amyloid (Aβ), a derivative of the longer amyloid precursor protein (APP). The amyloid hypothesis proposes that the accumulation of Aβ within neural tissue is the initial event that triggers the disease. Here we review research efforts that have attempted to inhibit the generation of the Aβ peptide through modulation of the activity of the proteolytic secretases that act on APP and discuss whether this is a viable therapeutic strategy for treating AD.

          Abstract

          Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in the elderly but as yet there are no drugs that can halt the progression of this disease. In a theory called the ‘amyloid hypothesis’, researchers have proposed that the accumulation of a small protein fragment called beta amyloid or Aβ within brain tissue is the event which triggers Alzheimer's disease. Aβ is a derivative of the longer amyloid precursor protein (APP). Here we review research efforts that have attempted to inhibit the generation of Aβ through modulation of proteins called secretases which cut APP into Aβ.

          Author edits made on: 20 May 2015.

          Most cited references115

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          Common structure of soluble amyloid oligomers implies common mechanism of pathogenesis.

          Soluble oligomers are common to most amyloids and may represent the primary toxic species of amyloids, like the Abeta peptide in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we show that all of the soluble oligomers tested display a common conformation-dependent structure that is unique to soluble oligomers regardless of sequence. The in vitro toxicity of soluble oligomers is inhibited by oligomer-specific antibody. Soluble oligomers have a unique distribution in human AD brain that is distinct from fibrillar amyloid. These results indicate that different types of soluble amyloid oligomers have a common structure and suggest they share a common mechanism of toxicity.
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            A specific amyloid-beta protein assembly in the brain impairs memory.

            Memory function often declines with age, and is believed to deteriorate initially because of changes in synaptic function rather than loss of neurons. Some individuals then go on to develop Alzheimer's disease with neurodegeneration. Here we use Tg2576 mice, which express a human amyloid-beta precursor protein (APP) variant linked to Alzheimer's disease, to investigate the cause of memory decline in the absence of neurodegeneration or amyloid-beta protein amyloidosis. Young Tg2576 mice ( 14 months old) form abundant neuritic plaques containing amyloid-beta (refs 3-6). We found that memory deficits in middle-aged Tg2576 mice are caused by the extracellular accumulation of a 56-kDa soluble amyloid-beta assembly, which we term Abeta*56 (Abeta star 56). Abeta*56 purified from the brains of impaired Tg2576 mice disrupts memory when administered to young rats. We propose that Abeta*56 impairs memory independently of plaques or neuronal loss, and may contribute to cognitive deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease.
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              Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Future Sci OA
                Future Sci OA
                FSO
                Future Science OA
                Future Science Ltd (London, UK )
                2056-5623
                November 2015
                01 November 2015
                : 1
                : 3
                : FSO11
                Affiliations
                [1 ]Institute of Cardiovascular & Medical Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
                Author notes
                *Author for correspondence: george.baillie@ 123456glasgow.ac.uk
                Article
                10.4155/fso.15.9
                5137966
                28031886
                fce85e74-ceac-4f51-b761-d2eeea27e1ac
                R MacLeod et al.

                This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License

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                Categories
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                alpha,alzheimer's disease,amyloid hypothesis,beta,beta amyloid,gamma,secretase

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