• Alzheimer's β-peptide Assembly-Disassembly at Physiological Concentration

The diffusible soluble oligomeric amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) has been identified as a major toxic agent in Alzheimer's disease (AD) that can disrupt synaptic function and impair memory. Hence, soluble oligomeric Aβ assemblies are an important biomarker as well as a potential therapeutic target for AD diagnosis and treatment. In recent studies, a sandwich biotin-avidin interaction based assay system was used to measure the intrinsic dissociation of biotinylated Aβ(1-42) oligomers and to identify small molecules that enhance oligomer dissociation. In order to understand the mechanism of Aβ assembly and dissociation in more detail, we use fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) to study diffusion of Aβ species at near physiological concentrations in the presence and absence of modulators of Aβ assembly. This project is in collaboration with Dr. Harry LeVine III

    Reprinted from http://www.samedanltd.com/magazine/12/issue/165/article/3132