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Prion proteins might help reduce amyloid-beta plaques

Submitted by Fiona McPherson on

New research helps explain the role of amyloid-beta plaques in the development of Alzheimer's, by finding that the prion protein known to bind strongly to small aggregates of amyloid-beta peptides, also attaches to large fibrillar clumps of amyloid-beta. However, it doesn’t break them down into smaller, more harmful pieces, as has been suggested. This suggests that prion-protein-based compounds might be a useful means of treatment, to stop these smaller pieces from forming.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-04/acs-tut042314.php

Nieznanski, K., Surewicz, K., Chen, S., Nieznanska, H., & Surewicz, W. K. (2014). Interaction between Prion Protein and Aβ Amyloid Fibrils Revisited. ACS Chemical Neuroscience, 5(5), 340-345. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/cn500019c (Original work published 2014)

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