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ABSTRACT From Bench to Bedside: BACE1, the Beta-Secretase Enzyme, in Basic Science and Clinical Investigation Yong Shen Robert Haldeman Laboratory <strong>of</strong> Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology Banner Sun Health Research Institute β-Secretase, or β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), has been identified as the rate-limiting enzyme for amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide production that occurs primarily in neurons in the brain. Aβis the main component <strong>of</strong> amyloid plaques and vascular deposits in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains, and it is believed to initiate the deadly amyloid cascade that leads to neurodegeneration and dementia. BACE1 is the principle beta-secretase, as its knock-out completely prevents Aβ generation. BACE1 is likely to process a number <strong>of</strong> different substrates, and consequently, it may exert several independent physiological functions in neurons. Currently, however, the physiological functions <strong>of</strong> BACE1 are not clear. Multiple cellular mechanisms for BACE1 regulation, including transcriptional regulation, neuronal excitability, receptor mediation, and identification <strong>of</strong> new molecules as biomarkers for AD and molecular targeting for Aβ lowering therapies will be discussed.