β-Secretase : Tissue Culture Studies of Sequence Specificity, Inhibitors, and Candidate Enzymes

When the amyloid precursor protein (APP) was cloned, Aβ was found to be part of the large APP molecule and it became obvious that at least two endoproteolytic cleavage events are required to release Aβ from its large precursor (1). More than 10 yr later nobody has published definitive identification of either of the proteases, although they are prime therapeutic targets for an antiamyloid therapy for Alzheimer's disease.