Extracting β-amyloid from Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

The amyloid hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) posits that extracellular plaques comprised of the β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide are a root cause of neuronal loss in AD (1). To date, three therapeutic strategies targeting Aβ have been used: (i) inhibiting the production of Aβ, (ii) inhibiting the oligomerization of Aβ, and (iii) promoting the clearance and/or degradation of Aβ. None have led to a therapeutic or preventive medication for AD. As an alternative approach, natural compounds have demonstrated remarkable promise in diseases ranging from cancer to diabetes. In PNAS, Sehgal et al. (2) describe how an extract from the root of Withania somnifera (WS; also known as Ashwagandha or Indian ginseng) reverses AD pathology via the peripheral clearance of Aβ.