Cell cycle induction, amyloid-beta, and free radicals in the mechanisms of neurodegenerative process progression in the brain

The modern data concerning investigations of cell death in the brain under neurodegenerative conditions are reviewed. The process of cell cycle activation in mature neurons is discussed from the viewpoint of its possible causative role in the initiation of pathological cell death. The data on the roles of the amyloid-beta peptide and oxidative stress in the mechanisms of activation of the mitotic signaling cascade in Alzheimer's disease are presented.