Biomedical engineers have developed sophisticated optical techniques to monitor at close range the process by which protein aggregates form during liquid-to-liquid transition. This can lead to solid condensates which can trigger a process that forms neural plaques, that can cause Alzheimer's and other diseases.
Many diseases affecting the brain and nervous system are linked to the formation of protein aggregates, or solid condensates, in cells from their liquid form condensate, but little is known about this process.
Biomedical engineers at the University of Sydney, in collaboration with scientists at the University of Cambridge and Harvard University, have now developed sophisticated optical techniques to monitor at close range the process by which these protein aggregates form. "This is a huge step forward to understanding how neurogenerative diseases develop from a fundamental perspective," said Dr Yi Shen, lead author of the research published in the"We can now directly observe the transition of these critical proteins from liquid to solid at the nanoscale -- a millionth of a metre in scale," said Dr Daniele Vigolo, a senior lecturer in the School of Biomedical Engineering and a member of the University of Sydney Nano Institute.
"This can lead to aberrant structures associated with neurodegenerative diseases because the proteins no longer exhibit rapid reversibility back to liquid form. It is therefore crucial to monitor condensate dynamics, as they directly affect pathological states," she said.
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