Cell Rep: a key protein in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

February 5, 2020 / Biovalley / recently, researchers led by Mazin magzoub, assistant professor of biology in Abu Dhabi, New York University, developed a small protein called cell penetrating peptides (CPPS), which can prevent accumulation of amyloid beta (a β) protein related to Alzheimer's disease Because proteins are biocompatible, biodegradable and can selectively bind to specific targets, they reduce the potential toxicity, so people pay more and more attention to the use of proteins to develop therapeutic methods Other advantages of proteins include greater chemical diversity than other biomolecules, ease of production, and low cost However, as a therapeutic drug, a major defect of protein molecules is their poor delivery ability to target organs and cells (image source: www Pixabay Com) in a new study, the magzoub lab was designed with the exception of a CPP that effectively prevents the aggregation of a β CPP is a special kind of protein, which has the ability to reach all organs including the brain and enter the cell interior of these organs Protein misfolding can lead to a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease Once folded incorrectly, these proteins accumulate in the process of damaging neurons Previously, the team showed that natural CPP could prevent the accumulation of abnormal proteins related to viral diseases Now, Dr magzoub and his collaborators have expanded the approach and dedicated it to Alzheimer's In a recently published paper, the researchers introduced the design process of a β inhibitor CPP Then, they used a series of techniques to describe the interaction pattern of CPP and a β Specifically, they used established assays to determine the effect of CPP on a β aggregation and related neurotoxicity At the same time, they used a confocal fluorescence microscope to detect the uptake and intracellular distribution of a β in the presence of CPP Finally, they combined experiments with computer simulation to clarify the binding mechanism of CPP and a β The results showed that CPPs could stabilize a β protein in non aggregation and non abnormal state, and inhibit a β induced neurotoxicity Research design proteins that can be utilized to combat Alzheimer's disease original source: cell reports physical science, www.cell.com/cell-reports-physics 2666-3864(20)30001-1