In addition to a proposed role for p75NTR-induced neuronal
apoptosis during development, p75NTR might also
contribute to neuronal cell death in pathologic situations including
cerebral ischemia, and neurodegenerative diseases
such as AD and ALS (Kokaia et al., 1998; Lowry et al.,
2001; Mufson and Kordower, 1992). Consistent with this
possibility, neurotoxic peptides including the prion protein
fragment PrP and -amyloid may bind and thereby activate
p75NTR