"Remarkable  thats how researchers are describing the results of a new study done on mice displaying traits associated with Alzheimers disease.  The deletion of just a single enzyme saw the near total reversal of the deposition of amyloid plaques found in brains of those with Alzheimers improving cognitive functions in the mouse subjects according to the study from researchers at the Cleveland Clinic published Feb.  in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.  These promising research findings center around deleting a gene that produces an enzyme called BACE which helps make the betaamyloid peptides that accumulate abnormally in the brains of people with Alzheimers disease. Studies have shown that stopping or reducing that enzymes activity dramatically reduces production of betaamyloid peptides which are toxic to the brain and lead to the symptoms  including memory loss  associated with Alzheimers.  By using BACE inhibitors to gradually lower the enzymes levels researchers saw reduced neuron loss and better brain function in the mice offering hope for human subjects down the line according to the study.  However researchers urge caution with the results as many Alzheimers discoveries seem to hold true in mice then fail in people.  Cleveland Clinic researcher Riqiang Yan Ph.D. an author on the study told ABC News that in the mouse model the gene that produces the enzyme was deleted completely stopping the enzymes production. But in humans its unlikely that BACE inhibitors would totally halt the enzymes production Yan said.  Nonetheless five BACE inhibitors are being tested in human subjects currently Yan added.  BACE inhibitors are still hopeful for AD patients if they have no unwanted side effects or can be tolerated for longterm use Yan said.  Yan added researchers are currently in phase II and in some cases phase III clinical trials for the various compounds.  Dr. JaySheree Allen is a family medicine resident physician at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and a resident at the ABC News Medical Unit."