APP and astrocytoma (excluding glioblastoma): HtrA1 can directly degrade various fragments of amyloid precursor protein (APP), and inhibition of HtrA1 activity results in the accumulation of beta-amyloid in astrocytoma cell culture media; these data suggest a potential role of HtrA1 in protecting the brain against accumulation of amyloid deposits, which is a major neuropathological feature of Alzheimer’s disease [43].