Cited by 402Alzheimer's disease research and treatmentsDementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms

The amyloid cascade hypothesis: are we poised for success or failure?

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Karran, Eric, De Strooper, Bart·2016·Journal of Neurochemistry

Abstract

The first description of Alzheimer's disease ( AD ) was made in 1907 by Alois Alzheimer ( Allgemeine Zeitschrift fur Psyciatrie und Psychisch‐Gerichtliche Medizin 64, 3, 1907), although other contemporary physicians had made similar, and rather more complete, assessments of the neuropathological changes present in the AD brain (Fischer, Monatsschr Psychiat Neurol 22, 17, 1907). Our knowledge of AD has increased dramatically and continues to accelerate. This year is 25 years after the publication of a series of papers that, in various ways, articulated the amyloid cascade hypothesis ( ACH ) for AD (Beyreuther and Masters, Brain Pathol 1, 241–251, 1991; Hardy and Allsop, Trends Pharmacol Sci 12, 383–388, 1991; Selkoe, Neuron 6, 487–498, 1991; Hardy and Higgins, Science 256, 184–185, 1992). This review will cover some familiar territory, but we shall also place the ACH into a wider context, compare it with other hypotheses for AD , explore the evolution of the hypothesis to encompass new findings, and determine, irrespective of the merits of the hypothesis itself, whether it has been useful for the research field, both in academia and in industry. Finally, we shall review how the ACH has led to a number of therapeutic approaches, all of which have, to date, failed to reach their primary efficacy end‐points in clinical trials and reflect upon what the future may hold. image We review the amyloid cascade hypothesis (ACH) and compare it with other hypotheses that have been posited to explain the initiation and progression Alzheimer's disease. We document the data that support the ACH, and also reflect upon its deficiencies. We list the recent clinical failures of amyloidocentric drugs and anticipate the results that new therapeutic approaches may deliver. This article is part of the 60th Anniversary special issue .

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  • Aβ presages tauopathy and neurodegeneration.

    “Based on the evidence that Aβ presages tauopathy and neurodegeneration, this hypothesis argues that Aβ triggers NFT pathology leading to cognitive impairment and related pathologic sequelae.”

    From Combinatorial model of amyloid β and tau reveals synergy between amyloid deposits and tangle formation (2022) · cites this paper as [2]

    The Abstract (page unavailable) says Aβ deposition likely precedes frank neuronal and synaptic loss. It also says tau pathology precedes amyloid pathology in all cases, although amyloid may drive its later spread through the cortex. Thus, the source supports Aβ preceding neurodegeneration, but not the unqualified claim that it precedes tauopathy. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Aβ triggers NFT pathology leading to cognitive impairment and related pathologic sequelae.

    “this hypothesis argues that Aβ triggers NFT pathology leading to cognitive impairment and related pathologic sequelae.”

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Research works printed but not linked: 9

  1. Bales K. R., Verina T., Cummins D. J. et al. (1999) Apolipoprotein E is essential for amyloid deposition in the APP(V717F) transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 96, 15233-15238.
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Authors
Karran, E., & De Strooper, B.
Affiliations
  • Alzheimer’s Research UK (GB)
  • VIB Center for the Biology of Disease VIB‐Leuven Leuven Belgium
Corresponding author
Karran, Eric
Venue
Journal of Neurochemistry
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2016-06-03
Volume
139
Issue
S2
Pages
237-252
ISSN
  • 0022-3042 (ISSN-L)
  • 1471-4159
OpenAlex
W2415660587
Cited by
402
References
42
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 47 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 54 · 2019: 67 · 2018: 42 · 2017: 43 · 2016: 7
FWCI
6.27
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Neurochemistry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Lirias (submittedVersion)
Funders
Janssen Pharmaceuticals
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
Keywords
amyloid hypothesis, Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-beta, Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis, anti-amyloid therapy, clinical trial failure
MeSH terms
Alzheimer Disease, Amino Acid Sequence, Amyloid, Amyloidosis, Animals, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Brain, Humans, Signal Transduction, Amyloid beta-Peptides, Amyloidogenic Proteins

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