AD target gets a caution

A Harvard researcher says three new mouse studies reinforce her hypothesis that targeting g-secretase to treat Alzheimer's disease could exacerbate, rather than ameliorate, AD-related neuron loss and brain dysfunction.^1-3 One neurology company targeting g-secretase,Elan Corp. plc, has not been convinced.

g-Secretase is an enzymatic complex that digests neuronal membraneproteins and is thought to cleave amyloid-b (A4) precursor protein (APP) to generatethe b-amyloid (Ab) fragments that many researchers believe cause AD. But the new studies suggest that various components of the g-secretase complex are essential for normal neuronal function and survival...