| 摘要 |
A polypeptide which inhibits nerve cell death in association with Alzheimer's disease. By using a nerve cell system capable of inducing the expression of familial Alzheimer's disease variant APP by treating with ecdysone, a gene having an activity of protecting the nerve cells from cell death is successfully isolated. This gene encodes a secretory polypeptide consisting of 24 amino acids. This polypeptide shows an activity of inhibiting nerve cell death caused by the expression of an APP variant and a presenilin variant. This polypeptide also inhibits cell death caused by A.beta. in primary nerve culture. By modifying the amino acids of this polypeptide, moreover, the cell death inhibitory activity can be significantly elevated. These polypeptides and derivatives thereof are useful as medicines for preventing nerve cell death in association with Alzheimer's disease and as seed compounds for developing novel medicines for Alzheimer's disease.
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