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Size of protein aggregates, not abundance, drives spread of prion-based disease


Thanks to Brown University for this article.

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Nikkilina
Washington University School of Medicine
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Sun, Oct 31, 2010, 11:38 pm CDT

I used to do Alzheimer's research, and there was a clear divide in though about whether the amount of Abeta protein or the size of its aggregates were more important for disease progression. My studies suggested size of aggregates too.



Odyssey
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Mon, Nov 01, 2010, 7:38 am CDT

The number of chains that have associated also appears important in Huntington's disease. It may well turn out to be a universal property of these aggregation diseases. One caveat though, it's my understanding is that it's not necessarily the size of the aggregate in Alzheimer's and Huntington's, but rather the size of the oligomers which precede aggregation.



Nikkilina
Washington University School of Medicine
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Mon, Nov 01, 2010, 8:07 am CDT

That's correct, Odyssey. In AD it appears to be some small oligomeric structure that's formed very early in the aggregation process. I just sort of lumped that in with the larger class of aggregates.


Huntington's does have a similar process to the other prion diseases, so it too may be the small oligmers responsible.



Odyssey
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Mon, Nov 01, 2010, 12:01 pm CDT

@Nikkilina:
I haven't looked at the Science paper from the press release, but I wonder if they're really looking at oligomers as opposed to aggregates?


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