Fibrillar aggregates of misfolded amyloid proteins are involved in a variety of diseases such as Alzheimer disease (AD), type 2 diabetes, Parkinson, Huntington and prion-related diseases. In the case of AD amyloid β (Aβ) peptides, the toxicity of amyloid oligomers and larger fibrillar aggregates is related to perturbing the biological function of the adjacent cellular membrane. We used atomisti...

The amyloid hypothesis has driven drug development strategies for Alzheimer's disease for over 20 years. We review why accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) oligomers is generally considered causal for synaptic loss and neurodegeneration in AD. We elaborate on and update arguments for and against the amyloid hypothesis with new data and interpretations, and consider why the amyloid hypothesis may b...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterised by the aggregation of two quite different proteins, namely, amyloid-beta (Aβ), which forms extracellular plaques, and tau, the main component of cytoplasmic neurofibrillary tangles. The amyloid hypothesis proposes that Aβ plaques precede tangle formation but there is still much controversy concerning the order of events and the linkage between Aβ and ta...

Progressive cerebral deposition of the amyloid β-protein (Aβ) in brain regions serving memory and cognition is an invariant and defining feature of Alzheimer disease. A highly similar but less robust process accompanies brain aging in many nondemented humans, lower primates, and some other mammals. The discovery of Aβ as the subunit of the amyloid fibrils in meningocerebral blood vessels and pa...

The so-called amyloid hypothesis, that the accumulation and deposition of oligomeric or fibrillar amyloid β (Aβ) peptide is the primary cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD), has been the mainstream concept underlying AD research for over 20 years. However, all attempts to develop Aβ-targeting drugs to treat AD have ended in failure. Here, we review recent findings indicating that the main factor u...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease biochemically characterized by aberrant protein aggregation, including amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide accumulation. Protein aggregates in the cell are cleared by autophagy, a mechanism impaired in AD. To investigate the role of autophagy in Aβ pathology in vivo, we crossed amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic mice with mice lacking autoph...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects and pharmacological mechanisms of icariin, which is the main component in the traditional Chinese herb Epimedium, on β-amyloid (Aβ) production in an amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic (Tg) mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS APPV717I Tg mice were randomly divided into a model group and icariin-treated (30 ...

OBJECTIVES Neuroprotective effect of creatine (Cr) against β-amyloid (Aβ) is reported in an in vitro study. This study investigated the effect of Cr supplementation on β-amyloid toxicity in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty two, male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups. During ten weeks of study, control group went through no surgical or dietary intervention. At the 4th week of study Sham...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive dementia with characteristic brain lesions known as senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Amyloid plaques contain the 38–42 residue amyloid-β protein (Aβ) and NFTs consist of the microtubule-associated protein, tau [18]. Aβ is synthesized as a larger precursor protein – AβPP – and is generated by proteolytic processing by βand γ-secretases ...

Evidence for a central role of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) in the genesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has led to advanced human trials of Aβ-lowering agents. The “amyloid hypothesis” of AD postulates deleterious effects of small, soluble forms of Aβ on synaptic form and function. Because selectively targeting synaptotoxic forms of soluble Aβ could be therapeutically advantageous, it is important to ...