Understanding how aging leads to amyloid diseases and neurodegeneration

This project will examine how aging leads to harmful protein modifications and aggregation. This process is the basis for amyloid diseases and neurodegeneration. Human serum albumin, the most abundant protein in plasma and the cerebrospinal fluid, has a neuroprotective effect as an amyloid inhibitor, preventing the aggregation of amyloid proteins such as the A-beta peptide and alpha synuclein, which is related to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s respectively. It is hypothesized that upon aging the neuroprotective effects of albumin are compromised thus leading to the accumulation of amyloid proteins and the onset of neurodegenerative disorders. Through the examination of human serum albumin, this project aims to understand one of the mechanisms in the complex process of aging, that may support the development of new therapeutic opportunities.