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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #177745
Title: ALZHEIMER DISEASE: CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES AND SURPRISES

Author
item SMITH, MARK - CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIV
item ZHU, XIONGWEI - CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIV
item CASADESUS, G - CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIV
item ALIEV, GJUMRACH - CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIV
item OGAWA, OSAMU - CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIV
item NUNOMURA, AKIHIKO - ASAHIKAWA MED. COL.,JAPAN
item TAKEDA, ATSUSHI - TOHOKU U. SCH. MED.,JAPAN
item Joseph, James
item PETERSON, ROBERT - CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIV
item PERRY, GEORGE - CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIV

Submitted to: Biogerontology
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2003
Publication Date: 12/1/2003
Citation: Smith, M.A., Zhu, X., Casadesus, G., Aliev, G., Ogawa, O., Nunomura, A., Takeda, A., Joseph, J.A., Peterson, R.B., Perry, G., 2003. Alzheimer disease: causes, consequences and surprises. Biogerontology 2003, 4 (Suppl 1): 88-89.

Interpretive Summary: not needed

Technical Abstract: Evidence that oxidative stress may play a significant role in the development of Alzheimer disease led the authors to investigate the causes and consequences of oxidative stress, which led to a number of surprising findings concerning disease pathogenesis. Evidence suggests that the lesions that are observed in Alzheimer disease, rather than mediating pathogenesis, may instead function as a primary line of antioxidant defense in both the aged and diseased brain. The idea that amyloid beta and tau serve a protective function brings into serious question the rationale of current therapies which are targeted toward removal of the lesions.