Role of the β-amyloid precursor protein in Alzheimer's disease

Deposition of β-amyloid peptide in the brain is an early event in Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia. Studies of the β-amyloid precursor protein (APP), which gives rise to β-amyloid, are rapidly leading to a better understanding of the biochemical basis of the disease - a prerequisite for rational drug development.