One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease is the self-aggregation of the amyloid beta peptide (beta-amyloid) in extracellular amyloid fibrils. The hypothesis, that amyloid plaques are responsible for the pathology of Alzheimer's disease, is supported by much evidence; however, it has not been proven conclusively. Therefore it is of great interest to establish the precise roles of beta-amyloid. A recent report in the Journal of Biological Chemistry shows, that estrogen stimulates the degradation of beta-amyloid. The beta-amyloid ELISA kit utilized in this study can be purchase from antibodies-online.com