Resistance to Abeta Toxicity in Neuronal Cells

A large body of evidence suggests that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) develops through an “amyloid cascade” that begins with an increased accumulation of a molecule called amyloid beta peptide, which aggregates and causes injury and death to neurons. These discoveries have fueled the testing of new therapeutic possibilities for preventing AD, but much more needs to be learned to combat this complex disease. Dr. Stein hypothesizes that there are normal genes that can help protect normal cells from the toxic effects of amyloid beta peptide when their expression increased. It is hoped that this study will identify the genes that enhances the survival of cultured neuronal cells that are exposed to amyloid beta peptide. The findings have the potential to suggest new ways to combat amyloid beta-mediated neurodegeneration in AD.