Learning by Failing: Ideas and Concepts to Tackle γ-Secretases in Alzheimer Disease and Beyond

γ-Secretases are a group of widely expressed, intramembrane-cleaving proteases involved in many physiological processes. Their clinical relevance comes from their involvement in Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and other disorders. A clinical trial with the wide-spectrum γ-secretase inhibitor semagacestat has, however, demonstrated that global inhibition of all γ-secretases causes serious toxicity. Evolving insights suggest that selective inhibition of one of these proteases, or more subtle modulation of γ-secretases by stimulating their carboxypeptidase-like activity but sparing their endopeptidase activity, are potentially highly interesting approaches. The rapidly growing knowledge of regulation, assembly, and specificity of these intriguing protein complexes and the potential advent of high-resolution structural information could dramatically change the perspective on safe and efficacious γ-secretase inhibition in various disorders. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology Volume 55 is January 06, 2015. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/catalog/pubdates.aspx for revised estimates.status: publishe