amyloid precursor protein
Unlocking the secret(ase) of building neural circuits
LA JOLLA, CA — Mutant presenilin is infamous for its role in the most aggressive form of Alzheimer’s disease — early-onset familial Alzheimer’s — which can strike people as early as their 30s. In their latest study, researchers at the Sal…
Function found for Alzheimer’s protein
In people with Alzheimer’s, the brain becomes riddled with clumps of protein, forming what are known as amyloid plaques. Now, a report appearing in the September 17th print issue of Cell appears to have found a function for the amyloid precursor pro…
Alzheimer's protein jams mitochondria; resulting 'energy crisis' kills neurons
Opening a new front in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have found that a protein long associated with the disease inflicts grave damage in a previously unimagined way: It seals off mitochondria in affected neurons, resulting in an “energy crisis” and buildup of toxins that causes cells to die. This pathway, the first specific biochemical explanation for pathologies associated with Alzheimer’s, is detailed in the April 14 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology.