What material forms the center of a neuritic plaque?

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Alzheimer disease Histopathologic image of neuritic plaques in the cerebral cortex in a patient with Alzheimer disease of presenile onset (onset before age 65).

The center of a neuritic plaque, also known as a senile or amyloid plaque, consists of deposits of a sticky protein called amyloid beta (or beta-amyloid). This protein is derived from the amyloid precursor protein, which is a normal component of nerve cells. These amyloid beta deposits are surrounded by deteriorating neuronal material.1