There is little question that these amyloid deposits somehow damage the brain. Jin seeks to determine just how the deposits form and why they are toxic to brain tissue. Studies of families with inherited AD show that the defects in the genes related to the disease are also related to abnormal beta-amyloid production. This link points to abnormal production of beta-amyloid as a central event in the disease process, explains Jin. However, understanding just how this event leads to the disease is less straightforward.
Inherited AD is rare.
Most people with AD do not have defects in the genes that are associated with the inherited forms. For most people with AD, abnormal beta-amyloid production is probably the result of the interactions of multiple genes and environmental factors. To sort out those influences, Jin takes several approaches-making genetic modifications, creating changes in environmental factors and applying potential therapeutic interventions. Although the actual cause of death is not clear, Jin, in collaboration with chemist Dr. Duy Hua, discovered a way to stop it. In another model, Jin is using transgenic mice to examine the relationship between beta-amyloid production and two molecules associated with cholesterol metabolism.