Swedish academic industrial collaboration opens up new avenue in Alzheimer’s

Research Lead

Swedish researchers from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Royal Institute of Technology (Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, KTH) and the antibody specialist Affibody AB have shown that a newly developed Affibody molecule, with specific binding affinity for the Alzheimer's amyloid-beta peptide, can stabilise and encapsulate the beta-peptide.

In Alzheimer's disease, toxic aggregates of the amyloid-beta peptide assemble in the brain as fibrils and eventually plaques. The discovery gives insights on how the toxic aggregates are formed and how this process might be inhibited.

The research group in Gothenburg, headed by Professor Torleif Härd determined the three-dimensional structure of amyloid-beta peptide bound to the Affibody molecule. They also demonstrated that the Affibody molecule stabilises the beta-peptide and prevents it from aggregating. The researchers say the results open the way to new strategies to tackle Alzheimer’s disease.