老年学と老年医学の研究

概要

Molecular Mechanism Underlying Αβ Immunotherapy: Implications for the Toxic Action of Αβ Oligomers

Etsuro Matsubara and Ayumi Takamura

Aβ immunotherapy brought us not only hope for but also led to greater attention to the mechanism underlying the clearance of amyloid β (Aβ), which provided fascinating insights into disease-relevant molecules such as toxic Aβ oligomers (AβOs). Accumulated lines of evidence indicate that AβOs play a causative role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), leading to a synaptic failure, which is considered a major cellular mechanism underlying the cognitive deficits in patients with mild cognitive impairment and AD. In this mini review, we focus on recent knowledge of the possible mechanisms underlying the action of the anti-Aβ antibody to clarify the toxic action of AβOs.