Proteolytic processing of the amyloid- protein precursor of Alzheimer’s disease

The proteolytic processing of the amyloidprotein precursor plays a key role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Cleavage of the amyloidprotein precursor may occur via two pathways, both of which involve the action of proteases called secretases. One pathway, involving and -secretase, liberates amyloidprotein, a protein associated with the neurodegeneration seen in Alzheimer’s disease. The alternative pathway, involving -secretase, precludes amyloidprotein formation. In this review, we describe the progress that has been made in identifying the secretases and their potential as therapeutic targets in the treatment or prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.