Authors: Lin, Jin-Chung; Liu, Hsuan-Liang

Source: Current Drug Discovery Technologies, Volume 3, Number 2, June 2006 , pp. 145-153(9)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

Amyloidosis comprises a group of diseases characterized by the deposition of insoluble protein fibrils in specific organs and includes several serious medical disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, prion-associated transmissible spongiform encephalitis, and type II diabetes. Despite the structural dissimilarity between the soluble proteins and peptides, these fibrils exhibit similar morphologies under electron microscopy with a characteristic 'cross β- sheet' pattern examined by x-ray fiber diffraction experiments. Many studies have revealed that each of these diseases is associated to a specific protein that is partially unfolded, misfolded, and aggregated. However, the detailed structures of the causative agents and the toxicity mechanisms are less known. This review summarizes recent studies in the conformational disorders leading to aggregation; including which proteins potentially cause conformational diseases, the aggregation mechanisms of these proteins, and recent researches on the conformational changes using advanced experiments or molecular dynamics simulations. Finally, current drug designs towards these protein conformational diseases are also discussed. It is believed that the advances in basic understanding of the mechanisms of conformational changes as well as biological functions of these proteins will shed light on the development and design of potential interfering compounds against amyloid formation associated with protein conformational diseases.

Keywords: Amyloidosis; Alzheimer's disease; Prion-associated transmissible spongiform encephalitis; Type II diabetes; Electron microscopy; X-ray fiber diffraction; Molecular dynamics simulations; Protein conformational disease

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Graduate Institute of Biotechnology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan 10608.

Publication date: 2006-06-01

More about this publication?

• Due to the plethora of new approaches being used in modern drug discovery by the pharmaceutical industry, Current Drug Discovery Technologies has been established to provide comprehensive overviews of all the major modern techniques and technologies used in drug design and discovery. The journal is the forum for publishing both original research papers and reviews describing novel approaches and cutting edge technologies used in all stages of drug discovery. The journal addresses the multidimensional challenges of drug discovery science including integration issues of the drug discovery process.
  
  Current Drug Discovery Technologies is an essential journal for all scientists and research managers involved in drug discovery who wish to keep abreast of all the modern techniques and technologies used in drug discovery.

Related content

• In this: publication
• By this: publisher
• In this Subject: Pharmacology
• By this author: Lin, Jin-Chung ;  Liu, Hsuan-Liang

Website © Publishing Technology. Article copyright remains with the publisher, society or author(s) as specified within the article.

• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Information for advertisers