New study shows how infrared lasers destroy harmful protein aggregates in Alzheimer's
Tuesday, August 4, 2020 - 12:00
in Physics & Chemistry
The agglomeration of proteins into structures called amyloid plaques is a common feature of many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's. Now, scientists reveal, through experiments and simulations, how resonance with an infrared laser, when it is tuned to a specific frequency, causes amyloid fibrils to disintegrate from the inside out. Their findings open doors to novel therapeutic possibilities for amyloid plaque-related neurodegenerative diseases that have thus far been incurable.