Alzheimer's Disease Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Alzheimer's Disease, including details on diagnosis, memory loss, heredity, treatment, medication.

When good Cdk5 turns bad.

Guo Q

Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA. qing-guo@ouhsc.edu

The cyclin-dependent kinase-5 (Cdk5) is critical to normal mammalian development and has been implicated in synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory in the adult brain. But Cdk-5 activity has also been linked to neurodegenerative diseases. Could a single protein have opposing effects? A new study shows that production of a neuronal protein capable of regulating Cdk-5 activity can turn Cdk-5 from "good" to "bad." The findings may have implications for the development and treatment of conditions like Alzheimer's disease.

Published 10 February 2006 in Sci Aging Knowledge Environ, 2006(5): pe5.
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