For instance, gene knockout of Mapkapk2 improves functional recovery of animals after spinal cord injury (Ghasemlou et al., 2010), prevents neuronal death induced by amyloid beta 1–42 in a model of Alzheimer's disease (Culbert et al., 2006), and prevents neuronal death in the MPTP model of Parkinson's disease (Thomas et al., 2008). The gene discussed is MAPKAPK2; the disease is early-onset autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease.