AP52730

New protein structure could help treat Alzheimer's, and related diseases

The best known mental health problem of old age is the dementias, a group of neurological disorders involving problems with memory and thinking. Alzheimer’s disease is a very severe form of dementia, whose cause is unknown (Lifespan Development). University of Washington bioengineers have designed a peptide structure that can stop the harmful changes of the body's normal proteins into a state that's linked to widespread diseases such as Alzheimer's. Senior author Valerie Daggett, a UW professor of bioengineering says, “The synthetic molecule blocks these proteins as they shift from their normal state into an abnormally folded form by targeting a toxic intermediate phase.” The discovery of a protein blocker could lead to ways to diagnose and even treat a large range of diseases that are hard to pin down and rarely have a cure. "What's critical with this and what has never been done before is that a single peptide sequence will work against the toxic versions of a number of different amyloid proteins and peptides, regardless of their amino acid sequence or the normal 3-D structures,” said Daggett. More than 40 illnesses known as amyloid diseases are linked to the buildup of proteins, which happens naturally when we age. Each amyloid disease has a unique, abnormally folded protein or peptide structure, but often such diseases are misdiagnosed because symptoms can be similar. As a result, many dementias are broadly diagnosed as Alzheimer's disease. The researchers hope their designed compounds could be used as diagnostics for amyloid diseases and as drugs to treat the diseases or at least slow progression (ScienceDaily).

References: Boyd, D., & Bee, H. (2012). Physical and Cognitive Development in Late Adulthood. //Lifespan Development// (Second custom edition for St. Johns River State College ed.,). Upper Saddie River: Prentice Hall.

University of Washington. (2014, July 28). New protein structure could help treat Alzheimer's, related diseases. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 30, 2014 from [|www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140728123700.htm]

Only graders edit below this line!

Grader #1: 1406831042 Grader #2: 1406862286 Grader #3: 1406909418 Grader #4: 1406911178] Grader #5: [sb14-2627] =Grading Form= media type="custom" key="25032734"