Deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides in the brain is an early and invariant feature of all
forms of Alzheimer's disease. As with any secreted protein, the extracellular concentration of
Aβ is determined not only by its production but also by its catabolism. A major focus of
Alzheimer's research has been the elucidation of the mechanisms responsible for the
generation of Aβ. Much less, however, is known about the mechanisms responsible for Aβ
removal in the brain. In this report, we describe the identification of endothelin-converting …