Alzheimer’s disease against peptides products of enzymatic cleavage APP protein: Biological, pathobiological and physico-chemical properties of fibrillating peptides

• Main Author: Małgorzata Marszałek
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Index Copernicus International S.A. 2017-05-01
• Series: Postępy Higieny i Medycyny Doświadczalnej
• Subjects: horoba Alzheimera; białko prekursorowe amyloidu; APP; peptyd Aβ; proces fibrylacji; Amyloid
• Online Access: http://phmd.pl/gicid/01.3001.0010.3823

Various peptides products of enzymatic cleavage of key for Alzheimer’s disease Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) are well known, but still are matter of scientific debate. The Aβ type products are especially challenging for experimental and medical research. This paper outlines several, still poorly known, biological and medical processes such as peptides biology, i.e., formation, biodistribution, translocation, transport and finally removal from brain compartments and body fluids like Intracellular Fluid (ICF), Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF), Interstitial Fluid (ISF), blood serum or urine. In addition, the following studies concerning AD patients might prove challenging and simultaneously promising: peptides translocation through Blood-Brain – Barrier (BBB) and Blood–Cerebrospinal Fluid Barrier (BCSFB) and their removal from the brain according to a new concept of glymphatic system; – diagnostic difficulties that stem from physico-chemical properties and the nature of proteins or fibrillating peptides itself like low concentration, short half-live and from experimental-technical problems as well like high adsorption or low solubility of Aβ, tau or amylin. The study of diagnostic parameters is very important, as it may better reflect early changes before the disease develops; one such parameter is the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio, or the ratio with the total tau concentration combination and other new biomarkers like Aβ1-38; other factors include oxidative stress and inflammation process proteins, complement factor H, alpha-2-macroglobulin, or clusterin. The study of various forms of pathological amyloid deposits that emerge in different but specific brain regions AD patients seems to be crucial as well. The composition of the first initial pathological, pre-fibrillating monomers of fibrillating peptides and their role in AD development and disease progression have been described as well. They are even more challenging for science and simultaneously might be more promising in early diagnosis for AD patients. As always in science, research leads to endless discoveries and further inquiry. Fundamental problems in this field most probably are still far from being definitively comprehended, and multiple crucial questions await better answers. What we really need is to study more and deeper into this matter.