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Thermodynamic and kinetic origins of Alzheimer's and related diseases: A chemical engineer's perspective
Author(s) -
Hall Carol K.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.11589
Subject(s) - perspective (graphical) , kinetic energy , thermodynamics , chemistry , biochemical engineering , engineering , computer science , physics , artificial intelligence , classical mechanics
The pathological hallmark of more than twenty neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and the prion diseases, is the presence within the brain of plaques containing ordered protein aggregates called fibrils. It is not yet known why these structures form in some individuals and not in others, or whether the plaques are toxic or Nature's way of sequestering toxic species. Dr. Hall will describe current thinking on the scientific underpinnings for this phenomenon, and her computational efforts to contribute to our knowledge of how and why proteins assemble into fibrils.