APP and Alzheimer disease: While most of the AD cases are late onset (LOAD) and sporadic, some genetic mutations in the amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin 1 (PSEN1) and presenilin 2 (PSEN2) are documented to cause early onset AD, which accounts for approximately 2% of the cases with symptoms appearing before the age of 65 (Goate et al., 1991; Levy-Lahad et al., 1995; Janssen et al., 2003).