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Updated: Aug 16, 2026

A11-positive β-amyloid Oligomer Preparation and Assessment Using Dot Blotting Analysis
Published on: May 22, 2018
Proteolytic mechanisms in amyloid-beta metabolism: therapeutic implications for Alzheimer's disease
Emma R L C Vardy1, Andrew J Catto, Nigel M Hooper
1Academic Unit of Molecular Vascular Medicine, Leeds Institute of Genetics, Health and Therapeutics, University of Leeds, Clarendon Way, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
Abstract:
The accumulation of the amyloid-beta peptide, the main constituent of the "amyloid plaque", is widely considered to be the key pathological event in Alzheimer's disease. Amyloid-beta is produced from the amyloid precursor protein through the action of the proteases beta-secretase and gamma-secretase. Alternative cleavage of amyloid precursor protein by the enzyme alpha-secretase precludes amyloid-beta production. In addition, several proteases are involved in the degradation of amyloid-beta. This review focuses on the proteolytic mechanisms of amyloid-beta metabolism. An increasingly detailed understanding of proteolysis in both amyloid-beta deposition and clearance has identified some of these proteases as potential therapeutic targets for Alzheimer's disease. A more complex knowledge of these proteases takes us one step closer to developing "disease-modifying" therapies, but these advances also emphasize that significant challenges must be overcome before clinically effective drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease become a reality.
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