Beta-Amyloid42 positively regulates Alpha7-Cholinergic Receptors

In Alzheimer's disease, brain levels of the protein fragment beta-amyloid become abnormally high. Beta-amyloid accumulations have been shown to disrupt cell-to-cell communication in the brain and cause brain cell death. However, other research has shown that the protein fragment may promote brain cell activity in animals and humans. Recent studies, in fact, have found that the brain requires small concentrations of beta-amyloid to maintain the health of synapses — the tiny channels through which brain cells communicate with one another — and to support memory functions