Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 1, 2026

Fabrication of Amyloid-β-Secreting Alginate Microbeads for Use in Modelling Alzheimer's Disease
Published on: July 6, 2019
Amyloid-degrading enzymes in Alzheimer´s disease: from molecules to genetic therapy
Miguel Chin-Chan1, María Guadalupe Maldonado-Velázquez, Rafael Mex-Álvarez
1Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, Facultad de Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Cuerpo Académico Ciencias de la Salud y Biotecnología. Campeche, Campeche, México
Abstract:
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the main form of dementia in elderly population worldwide. By 2010 it was estimated that 35.6 million of people were living with this disease, and it was projected that this figure will triple by the year 2050. According to amyloid hypothesis, production and aggregation of amyloid beta (A-beta) peptide is the initial step in AD development. A-beta peptide is generated through proteolytic processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP); whereas its degradation depends on the action of a group of proteins collectively known as amyloiddegrading enzymes (ADE), which are reduced during aging and particularly in AD. Genetic therapy consists in the restoration of the genetic expression of a deficient protein to treat a disease. Brain restoration or overexpression of ADE reduces the levels and aggregates of A-beta, and improves learning and memory in animal models of AD. In this review we will describe the role of ADE in the regulation of A-beta levels, as well as its potential use in genetic therapy against AD.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Amyloid Fibrils
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining,...
Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment
Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ...
Proteins: From Genes to Degradation
Transcription is the synthesis of RNA...
Regulated Protein Degradation
Protein degradation plays two important roles in the cells. It helps to protect cells from misfolded or damaged proteins before they lead to a...
Enzymes
Enzyme deficiencies can often translate into life-threatening diseases. For example, a genetic abnormality resulting in the deficiency of the enzyme G6PD...

