Current Alzheimer's drugs aim to reduce the amyloid plaques?sticky deposits that build up in the brain--that are a visual trademark of the disease. The plaques are made of long fibers of a protein called Amyloid β, or Aβ. Recent studies, however, suggest that the real culprit behind Alzheimer's may be small Aβ clumps called oligomers that appear in the brain years before plaques develop.
FINDINGSIn unraveling oligomers' molecular structure, UCLA scientists discovered that Aβ has a vastly different organization in oligomers than in amyloid plaques. Their finding could shed light on why Alzheimer's drugs designed to seek out amyloid plaques produce zero effect on oligomers.
Source-Eurekalert
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