Estrogen and Presenilin 1 in BAPP Trafficking and AB Generation

Postmenopausal women who take estrogen as part of a long-term program of estrogen replacement are less likely to get Alzheimer’s disease, or more likely to get it at an older age. Dr. Xu and coworkers were the first to show that estrogen may actually prevent or delay Alzheimer’s by slowing the secretion of amyloid from neurons. Dr. Xu is working toward an understanding of how estrogen inhibits the production of toxic amyloid. By using techniques similar to the proposed studies on estrogen, Dr. Xu is also studying how presenilin affects the precursor protein, from which amyloid is derived. It is hoped that a better understanding of the mechanism behind amyloid secretion will lead to interventions to prevent, slow, or reverse the disease.