Drug Discovery

Anti-amyloid

The Effect of ApoE Mimetic Therapeutic Peptide in a Murine Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Investigator(s): Daniel T. Laskowitz MD

Institution(s): Duke University Medical Center

Duration: 2004 - 2005

Summary:

One of the major risk factor genes for AD is apolipoprotein E (apoE), which encodes 3 isoforms of a 299 amino acid protein: E2, E3 and E4. The apoE4 isoform has been identified as the most powerful risk factor for AD and may account for as much as 50% of the sporadic form of the disease. Possible pathological functions or “risk- factor activities” of apoE4 include its role in ß-amyloid deposition, neurofibrillary tangle formation, synaptic loss, lipid-dysfunction, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. It is predicted that drugs preventing or intervening in these activities will have therapeutic value.