Research on Alzheimer's disease in Japan: a personal view on history and present status.
Research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) in Japan is briefly reviewed based mainly on our work. Paired helical filaments (PHF) have been extensively investigated for their components and phosphorylation. Their analysis has no yet provided important insights into the mechanism of neuronal death in AD brain. In beta-amyloidogenesis, the carboxyl extent of amyloid beta-protein (Abeta) is now highlighted. Abeta42, not Abeta40, is the initially deposited species. Future investigations should elucidate why Abeta42 is deposited in the brain parenchyma and how the Abeta deposition leads to PHF formation.
Ihara
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Department of Neuropathology, Institute for Brain Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyoku, Tokyo 113, Japan.