Scientists have identified a molecule that can prevent tangling of a brain protein that is linked to diseases such as Parkinson's. The findings may provide insights into new ways of treating or diagnosing the early stages of dementia.
Alpha-synuclein, a protein found in brain cells, is commonly associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, a debilitating neurological disorder affecting millions worldwide.
Like all proteins, it is made up of a long strand of molecules called amino acids. When it's made, this strand folds in on itself to form a complex but precise 3D shape, made up of sub-structures and loops.interacts with cell membranes where it plays a role in how brain cells communicate with each other, but as a person ages, the 3D shape of the protein can malform, or"misfold," causing it to start sticking together to form toxic clumps in the brain.
Over time these clumps continue to stack, forming fibers that can interfere with the protein's normal role, eventually killingA team of scientists at the Universities of Bath and Bristol took a, or peptide, from one end of the alpha-synuclein protein strand and mixed it with samples of the full-length alpha-synuclein protein.
They found that the fragment prevented misfolding in vitro, by stabilizing its normal structure to prevent it from tangling, forming clumps and disrupting the
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