33rd Annual Student Research Conference
Investigation of Amyloid β Polyphenol Inhibitors in Alzheimer’s disease
Jackson Dyroff*, Clara Wolf, Alex P. Platt, Conaire C. Bradfield, and Rachel Stanfield
Dr. Bill R. Miller, Faculty Mentor
Alzheimer's disease(AD) is the most common form of dementia and is characterized by memory loss and decreased cognitive function as a result of neurodegeneration. AD is thought to be caused by protein plaque on the brain composed of aggregated amyloid beta peptide(Aβ). Aβ consists of 42 amino acids and is produced through the proteolytic processing of amyloid precursor protein. Aβ contain beta sheets and are prone to cause inflammation in the brain by aggregating. If we can find a ligand to interact with Aβ to change its structure, we can potentially alleviate the inflammation that leads to AD. Polyphenols widely distributed in plants have received considerable attention for their anti-inflammatory properties. Using computational methods, a group of these polyphenols were simulated for 1.0 μs with residues 25-37 of the Aβ. Further analysis was done to look at the effects these ligands had on the structure Aβ.
Keywords: Amyloid Beta, Amyloid Precursor Protein, Glycine Zipper, Alzheimer's Disease, Amino Acid, Polyphenol, Computational, Neurodegeneration
Topic(s):Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: TBA