Proteases Upregulation in Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease Brain.

Certain proteases are involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and their erroneous control may contribute to the pathology onset and progression. In this study we evaluated the cerebral expression of eight proteases, involved in both A beta PP processing and extracellular matrix remodeling. Among these proteases, ADAM10, ADAMTS1, Cathepsin D, and Meprin beta show a significantly higher mRNAs expression in sporadic AD subjects versus controls, while ADAMTS1, Cathepsin D, and Meprin beta show an increment also at the protein level. These data indicate that transcriptional events affecting brain proteases are activated in AD patients, suggesting a link between proteolysis and AD.