Alzheimer's disease is one of the major scientific, medical and social challenges of our time. This book, the first in the new series Research and Perspectives in Alzheimer's Disease, presents a particularly up-to-date approach of immunological and biochemical aspects. It is written by the most outstanding scientists and contains recent data. The following are among the most interesting ideas contained in this book: - Alzheimer's disease is a cerebral form of amyloidosis. - some data are in accordance with an immunological hypothesis of this disease. - degeneration of microvessels - including amyloid angiopathy - could be very important in the changes in the brain with Alzheimer's disease. - the molecular study of A4 protein and its precursor is important for the understanding of the disease. This synthesis by prominent scientists provides a stimulating hypothesis about the determinism of the disease.

Inhalt

Alzheimer's Disease, a Cerebral Form of Amyloidosis.- Immunological Markers and Neuropathological Lesions in Alzheimer's Disease.- Presence of Immunoglobulins and Complements in the Amyloid Plaques in the Brain of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease.- The Blood-Brain Barrier in Cerebral Amyloidogenesis in Alzheimer's Disease and Scrapie.- Ultrastructural Study of Senile Plaques and Microvessels in the Brain in Alzheimer's Disease.- Paired Helical Filaments in Alzheimer's Disease: Their Formation and Transformation.- Amyloidosis in the Genesis of Alzheimer's Disease.- Protein Chemical and Molecular Biological Studies of Amyloid Precursor Proteins in Alzheimer's Disease.- The Molecular Basis of Cerebral Amyloidosis in Alzheimer's Disease and the Unconventional Virus Diseases.- Genetics, Expression and Localization of the Amyloid Precursor of Alzheimer's Disease.- Immunodiagnosis and Immunotherapy of Patients with Alzheimer's Syndrome.