A new take on prions: preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's disease is a major neurodegenerative disease of the brain, the incidence of which increases dramatically in old age. Currently, no drugs are available to halt or slow the progression of this disease, which poses an ever-expanding burden on health services, families and society. The prion protein has become infamous owing to its role as the causative agent of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. However, our view of the prion protein as an unwanted, harmful entity has been challenged recently. New data indicate that the normal cellular form of the prion protein might have a crucial role in suppressing the production of the amyloid-beta peptide, the neurotoxic molecule involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.
Hooper
Nigel M
NM
Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. n.m.hooper@leeds.ac.uk
Turner
Anthony J
AJ
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007562:Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D021962:Membrane Microdomains; D008954:Models, Biological; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011328:Prions / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D058255:Protease Nexins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D011328:Prions; D058255:Protease Nexins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D053829:Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; C509280:BACE1 protein, human