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Proteolytic Processing Of Alzheimer's Amyloid Precursor: Identification Of Gamma-secretase
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$240,581.00
Summary
Alzheimer's disease is the major cause of dementia among the elderly and affects more than 20% of the population aged 80 and over. There is no cure for the disease and the treatments currently available can only retard its progression and have serious side-effects. Examination of the brain from subjects who died from Alzheimer's disease shows lesions: these are called amyloid plaques. The plaques are formed by the abnormal accumulation of an insoluble and toxic protein which causes death of the ....Alzheimer's disease is the major cause of dementia among the elderly and affects more than 20% of the population aged 80 and over. There is no cure for the disease and the treatments currently available can only retard its progression and have serious side-effects. Examination of the brain from subjects who died from Alzheimer's disease shows lesions: these are called amyloid plaques. The plaques are formed by the abnormal accumulation of an insoluble and toxic protein which causes death of the brain cells. Some gene defects which cause Alzheimer's disease at an early age (30-60 years) are known to accelerate the accumulation of the toxic protein, thereby causing progressive degeneration of the brain. Our research is aimed at understanding at the molecular level how the toxic protein forms. We know that it is part of a large protein and that its release requires two enzyme cuts. Now we propose to isolate and characterize these enzymes and to search for drugs which will neutralize them. This constitutes a rational approach to a therapeutic strategy fo halting or slowing down the progression of Alzheimer's disease.Read moreRead less