CD44 and familial Alzheimer disease: β-APP is a Type I transmembrane glycoprotein associated with the pathogenesis of familial Alzheimer’s disease and can function as an adhesion molecule that interacts with the APP family proteins and extracellular matrix proteins, such as heparan sulfate proteoglycans, laminin, collagen, and F-spondin (Narindrasorasak et al., 1991, 1992, 1995; Hoe and Rebeck, 2008).