Oligomeric Amyloid β -Protein as a Therapeutic Target in Alzheimer's Disease: Its Significance Based on its Distinct Localization and the Occurrence of a Familial Variant Form

Oligomer Aβ is the term utilized for multimeric but non-fibrillar forms of amyloid β-protein (Aβ). The most prominent property of oligomer Aβ is considered to be its solubility and structure. Here, we examined the histochemical localization of oligomer Aβ in AD brains. At present, little information is available on the structure and function of cerebral oligomer Aβ. We therefore studied the molecular localization of oligomer Aβ using a newly generated polyclonal mouse antisera against a variant Aβ with a deletion mutation of the 22nd glutamate that we found recently in a patient with familial Alzheimer's disease. Intracellular as well as extracellular oligomer Aβ are herein discussed to define their structure and pathological roles in disease.