ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE: Molecular Basis of Amyloid-Beta Protein Aggregation and Fibril Formation

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of senile dementia, affecting more than 24 million people worldwide. It is characterised pathologically by abnormally high levels of neurofibrillary tangles resulting from the accumulation of tau protein in dead and dying neurons, and by elevated numbers of senile plaques in the cortex and hippocampus of the brain. The major component of senile plaques is a small protein of 39-43 amino acids called amyloid-β (Aβ). Thus far, no treatment has been s...