title: beta-amyloid is different in normal aging and in Alzheimer disease.
abstract: The mechanism of neurodegeneration caused by beta-amyloid in Alzheimer disease is controversial. Neuronal toxicity is exerted mostly by various species of soluble beta-amyloid oligomers that differ in their N- and C-terminal domains. However, abundant accumulation of beta-amyloid also occurs in the brains of cognitively normal elderly people, in the absence of obvious neuronal dysfunction. We postulated that neuronal toxicity depends on the molecular composition, rather than the amount, of the soluble beta-amyloid oligomers. Here we show that soluble beta-amyloid aggregates that accumulate in Alzheimer disease are different from those of normal aging in regard to the composition as well as the aggregation and toxicity properties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Ophthalmology, and Genetics, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piccini
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gliozzi
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Relini
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vitali
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borghi
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giliberto
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Armirotti
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: D'Arrigo
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bachi
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cattaneo
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Canale
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Torrassa
authors.forename: Takaomi C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Saido
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Markesbery
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gambetti
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tabaton
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016923:Cell Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides