New Methods To Disrupt Protein Misfolding in Alzheimer’s Disease (Amyloid-B Protein)

Study Rationale:

Alzheimer’s (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is one of the most common causes of dementia. About 50 million people have AD worldwide and an estimated 5.5 million people have AD in the US. The symptoms of this disease begin with memory complications and over time, evolve in the direction of cognitive impairment and dysfunction in performing daily activities. AD, unfortunately, does not have a cure to this day and only two classes of pharmacologic therapy are available for AD patients. By the time AD is diagnosed in many individuals, substantial neuronal loss can damage many regions in the brain, emphasizing just how desperate of a need there is for an early diagnosis.

Study Impact and Next Steps:

An early diagnosis of AD is essential and could be a cost-efficient approach preventing the irreversible consequences of this disorder, especially in regard to the pessimistic projection of AD and its corresponding social cost from 2030 to 2050. Thus, this directs research towards the early diagnosis between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.

We invite you to join me this semester in examining the causative role of amyloid aggregation, identifying specific molecules that contribute to the protein misfolding of beta amyloid, tackling AD at its infancy, and ultimately preventing AD.