Robert Vassar on Atorvastatin, Vaccine Trial Data Published

COMMENT Recent epidemiological studies (Jick et al., 2000; Wolozin et al., 2000; Heart Protection Study Group, 2002; Shepherd et al., 2002; Zandi et al., 2005) have led to contradictory conclusions regarding the efficacy of statin treatment for AD. As Dr. Wolozin

Lars Bertram on Dinucleotide repeat polymorphisms in the neprilysin gene are not associated with sporadic Alzheimer's disease.

COMMENT From the "AlzGene" Team: We would like to alert AlzGene users that this study also investigated three microsatellite polymorphisms ("-2419 (ac)p," "Intron 22 (TG)p," and "Intron 3 (CA)p") which can currently not be

Lars Bertram on No association between polymorphisms in the neprilysin promoter region and Swedish Alzheimer's disease patients.

COMMENT From the "AlzGene" Team: We would like to alert AlzGene users that this study also investigated another microsatellite polymorphism ("-2419 (ac)p") which can currently not be displayed in detail due to database design which limits the

Andre Delacourte on Decreased neprilysin immunoreactivity in Alzheimer disease, but not in pathological aging.

COMMENT It could be more simple to say that pathological aging (PA) corresponds to incipient AD and that the decrease of neprilysin immunoreactivity is only observed in late stages of AD. The concept of pathological aging suggests that the lesions before clinical

Gerald Leclair on The Cost of Making Memories

COMMENT I have just started reading this site. I had a bad accident 10 years ago; 750 pounds fell on my head. I have had a neck problem since, but last year I had a test because I was losing my memory. The doctors said this accident had created a problem in my he

Mary Reid on CD147 is a regulatory subunit of the gamma-secretase complex in Alzheimer's disease amyloid beta-peptide production.

COMMENT Malaguarnera et al. report a possible link with Helicobacter pylori and Alzheimer disease. Might we suspect molecular mimicry at play here? Helicobacter pylori may express the Lewis X antigen. Would you expect that an immune reaction may also be directed

David Holtzman on NF-(kappa)B mediates amyloid beta peptide-stimulated activity of the human apolipoprotein E gene promoter in human astroglial cells.

COMMENT Du and co-workers examine mechanisms of regulation of the ApoE promoter in a human glial cell line by Aβ. ApoE appears likely to play a key role in AD in large part by influencing Aβ metabolism. Thus, understanding the detailed mechanisms of ApoE regulati

Michael Irizarry on Lack of Lipoprotein Receptor Boosts Brain ApoE, but Not Aβ

COMMENT The study by Fryer et al. answers fundamental questions regarding the role of LDL receptor (LDL-r) family members in the regulation of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) in the brain [1]. Characterizing lipid physiology in the brain is critical for understanding Alz

Kristina Holmberg on Lack of Lipoprotein Receptor Boosts Brain ApoE, but Not Aβ

COMMENT In a recent paper in JBC, Fryer and coworkers showed that the LDLR regulates ApoE levels in vitro and in vivo. The authors have previously shown that recombinant ApoE binds LRP but not LDLR. In a recent paper by Ruiz and coworkers (2005), the idea of rece

Mahendra Rao on Patient-specific embryonic stem cells derived from human SCNT blastocysts.

COMMENT See 23 January 2006 Update to Rao's comment on stem cell research by this research group.

Malcolm Leissring on The Theology of Aβ: Presenilins Giveth, and They Taketh Away

COMMENT IDE has additional numerous substrates besides the ICDs of APP and APLPs, so the following comments

Cynthia Lemere on A New BACE for Immunotherapy

COMMENT Recent exciting work from Beka Solomon’s group demonstrates proof-of-concept for a novel way to block β-secretase activity using active immunization in mice to generate antibodies directed against the β-secretase cleavage site of APP. In a paper by Arbel

Anne Fagan on Atorvastatin, Vaccine Trial Data Published

COMMENT In this recent paper, Sparks and colleagues have reported encouraging preliminary data showing a beneficial effect of statin treatment on cognitive decline due to probable AD. Suggestions of a link between cholesterol metabolism and AD have come from many

Tobias Hartmann on Atorvastatin, Vaccine Trial Data Published

COMMENT Just a quick note on dosing in the statin studies. The Simons study used 80 mg simvastatin; 40 mg were used for the first month, then patients were put to 80 mg. One reason for doing this was that at the time the study was initiated, the use of 80 mg simv

Ralph Nixon on A New BACE for Immunotherapy

COMMENT The creative approach reported by Arbel and colleagues to reduce Aβ burden using site-directed APP antibodies that inhibit β-cleavage offers a possible alternative to specific BACE inhibitors, which have been challenging to design and could interfere with