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Chapter category: Neurodegenerative Disease

APP α -Secretase, a Novel Target for Alzheimer Drug Therapy

This chapter appears in the following book:

Ab Metabolism and Alzheimer's Disease

Edited by: Takaomi Saido
ISBN: 1-58706-230-5
» Get more information about this book at landesbioscience.com «

Chapter authors:
Shoichi Ishiura, Masashi Asai, Chinatsu Hattori, Nika Hotoda, Beata Szabo, Noboru Sasagawa and Sei-ichi Tanuma

The neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD) may be caused by deposition of amyloid β peptide (Aβ) in plaques in brain tissue (amyloid hypothesis). Mechanisms of Aβ production in the brain have been the subject of considerable interest. Several factors regulate processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP), which is cleaved by three types of membrane-bound proteases designated α- β- and γ-secretases. Although we are only beginning to understand their functions, the discovery of nonamyloidogenic α—secretase has already provided some answers to longstanding questions of Alzheimer drug development. Here we summarize recent advances in the identification of APP α-secretases. Pharmacological upregulation γ-secretases should provide rational drug design for Alzheimer's disease.

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