A new wrestler in the battle between alpha- and beta-secretases for cleavage of APP

Modulation of the proteases that process the amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a major therapeutic strategy for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The discovery of a novel endogenous modulator of alpha-secretase-mediated, in preference to beta-secretase-mediated, cleavage of APP implicates sumoylation in the etiology of AD, and offers a new therapeutic target for intervention in APP processing.