title: The immune system, amyloid-beta peptide, and Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: In this review, the case is made that amyloid-beta peptide in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease is a primary cause of the disease and that immunotherapy directed against this peptide has the potential to halt and/or reverse disease progression. This supposition is supported by the capacity of anti-beta-amyloid peptide antibodies to prevent or reverse the disease in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, preliminary results obtained in a small number of patients with Alzheimer's disease are consistent with the observations made in the mouse model of this disease. We review the relationship between the immune system, amyloid-beta peptide, and Alzheimer's disease and the progress made in applying immunotherapy to patients with Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA. weksler@med.cornell.edu
authors.forename: Marc E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Weksler
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gouras
authors.forename: Norman R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Relkin
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Szabo
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D000906:Antibodies