Studies of Drosophila and mammals have revealed the importance of insulin signaling through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and the serine/threonine kinase Akt/protein kinase B for the regulation of cell, organ, and organismal growth. In mammals, three highly conserved proteins, Akt1, Akt2, and Akt3, comprise the Akt family, of which the first two are required for normal growth and metabolism, respectively. Here we address the function of Akt3. Like Akt1, Akt3 is not required for the maintenance of normal carbohydrate metabolism but is essential for the attainment of normal organ size. However, in contrast to Akt1 ؊/؊ mice, which display a proportional decrease in the sizes of all organs, Akt3 ؊/؊ mice present a selective 20% decrease in brain size. Moreover, although Akt1-and Akt3-deficient brains are reduced in size to approximately the same degree, the absence of Akt1 leads to a reduction in cell number, whereas the lack of Akt3 results in smaller and fewer cells. Finally, mammalian target of rapamycin signaling is attenuated in the brains of Akt3؊/؊ but not Akt1 ؊/؊ mice, suggesting that differential regulation of this pathway contributes to an isoform-specific regulation of cell growth.While complex organisms grow toward determinate final sizes, there must be precise regulation within each tissue as well as coordination among organs to reach these final sizes (18,24). The regulation of both cell number and size contributes to the establishment of organ size, whereas cell number appears to be predominant in determining differences between species. Several factors, including circulating hormones and metabolites as well as cell-autonomous signaling cascades, control these processes (31). One of the key extracellular effectors determining organismal size is insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1). As demonstrated by genetic studies with mice, IGF1 is required for normal embryonic and postnatal growth (4,43,44,59). In addition, IGF1 controls the sizes of individual organs (43, 59). For example, normal brain growth requires IGF1 (6, 43), as IGF1-deficient brains are reduced in size secondary to a decrease in both cell number and cell size (6,15). Similarly, humans with IGF1 deficiency display severe growth retardation and suffer from mental retardation (75).In addition to extracellular factors, the intracellular signaling pathways determining growth are being uncovered. IGF1 acts through the type 1 IGF receptor to modulate an evolutionarily conserved pathway of molecules involved in the regulation of growth and metabolism (38,53). For many hormones, including IGF1 and insulin, binding to a receptor stimulates its protein tyrosine kinase activity, leading to the phosphorylation of scaffold proteins of the insulin receptor substrate (IRS) family. IRS proteins assemble complexes that include a number of potential signaling proteins, of which the lipid kinase phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) appears to be the most critical for the maintenance of cell size and proliferation (10). PI3K catalyzes the generation of phospha...

Mutations in presenilins (PS) are the major cause of familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) and have been associated with calcium (Ca2+) signaling abnormalities. Here, we demonstrate that FAD mutant PS1 (M146L)and PS2 (N141I) interact with the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (InsP3R) Ca2+ release channel and exert profound stimulatory effects on its gating activity in response to saturating and suboptimal levels of InsP3. These interactions result in exaggerated cellular Ca2+ signaling in response to agonist stimulation as well as enhanced low-level Ca2+signaling in unstimulated cells. Parallel studies in InsP3R-expressing and -deficient cells revealed that enhanced Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum as a result of the specific interaction of PS1-M146L with the InsP3R stimulates amyloid beta processing,an important feature of AD pathology. These observations provide molecular insights into the "Ca2+ dysregulation" hypothesis of AD pathogenesis and suggest novel targets for therapeutic intervention.

Epidemiological studies show that some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, nonspecific inhibitors of the cyclooxygenase enzyme, reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We determined the impact of two nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on A beta levels, deposition, and metabolism in a mouse model (the Tg2576) of AD-like amyloidosis. To this end, mice were treated with indomethacin and nimesulide continuously from 8 months of age until they were 15 months old. At the end of the study, indomethacin significantly reduced A beta(1-40) and A beta(1-42) levels in both cortex and hippocampus. This decrease was coincidental with a significant reduction of the nuclear factor (NF)-kappa B activity. By contrast, nimesulide had no effect on both A beta peptides and NF-kappa B. Consistently, mice receiving indomethacin, but no nimesulide, showed a significant reduction in the amyloid burden compared with placebo. Neither drug had an effect on plasma levels of A beta peptides or the A beta precursor protein metabolism. In vitro studies confirmed that genetic absence of this factor reduces the anti-amyloidogenic effect of indomethacin. These findings indicate that chronic administration of indomethacin by blocking the activation of the NF-kappa B significantly reduces the amyloid pathology in Tg2576 mice, and provide insights into the mechanisms by which this drug could slow progression of AD.

Alzheimer's disease is the public health crisis of the 21st century. There is a clear need for a widely available, inexpensive and reliable method to diagnosis Alzheimer's disease in the earliest stages, track disease progression, and accelerate clinical development of new therapeutics. One avenue of research being explored is blood based biomarkers. In April 2012, the Alzheimer's Association and the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation convened top scientists from around the world to discuss the state of blood based biomarker development. This manuscript summarizes the meeting and the resultant discussion, including potential next steps to move this area of research forward.