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pubmed:abstractText |
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by a decline in cognitive function and accumulation of amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta) in extracellular plaques. Mutations in amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilins alter APP metabolism resulting in accumulation of Abeta42, a peptide essential for the formation of amyloid deposits and proposed to initiate the cascade leading to AD. However, the role of Abeta40, the more prevalent Abeta peptide secreted by cells and a major component of cerebral Abeta deposits, is less clear. In this study, virally-mediated gene transfer was used to selectively increase hippocampal levels of human Abeta42 and Abeta40 in adult Wistar rats, allowing examination of the contribution of each to the cognitive deficits and pathology seen in AD.
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