KSEF KCF: Development of an enzyme-based treatment for Alzheimer's Disease

This technology involves the use of enzymes (peptidases) to prevent the accumulation of the amyloid beta peptides that cause Alzheimer's disease. In Alzheimer's disease these amyloid beta peptides accumulate in the brain with aging and cause the cell death associated with the disease. The current treatment for the disease is to delay the loss of memory and cognition associated with brain cell loss by prolonging the lifetime of the neurotransmiuer acetylcholne. This approach does not affect the progression of the disease, it only delays the symptoms. Using antibodies to remove the amyloid beta peptides that cause Alzheimer's disease is a newer approach that unfortunately has encountered problems in clinical trials. As an aletrantive we have developed a novel technology whereby breaking down the amyloid beta peptides outside the brain in plasma causes a subsequent lowering of the amyloid beta peptides in the brain. This lowering of brain the amyloid beta peptides is thought to occur as a result of the transport of the the amyloid beta peptides oout of the brain by an active transport process. Similarly the the amyloid beta peptides are transported from plasma back into the brain by a different transport process. Degrading the the amyloid beta peptides in the plasma by the peptidase neprilysin permits the amyloid beta peptides to be transported out of the brain, but prevents them from goping back into the brain. Thus a unidirectional system is established, and those the amyloid beta peptides transported out of the brain are destroyed by the enzyme neprilysin. This technology has been shown to work in an experimental mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.