Science Daily reports that a team led by Fernando Goni, PhD, an adjunct associate professor of Neurology, and Thomas Wisniewski MD, director of the Center for Cognitive Neurology at NYU Langone, showed that a novel class of monoclonal antibodies successfully targeted proteins that change shape and misfold, becoming toxic and triggering the hallmark beta-amyloid plaques and abnormal tau proteins that are known to accumulate in Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative conditions. The monoclonal antibodies were also successful at targeting the proteins linked to Parkinson’s development.
The research team’s findings are to be released at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2015, July 19, 2015 in Washington, D.C.
Monoclonal antibodies are antibodies produced by only one single, specific type of cell and all have the same activity. They can be purified and infused in any organism to produce a desired effect.
The new research suggests that monoclonal antibodies designed to specifically target these misfolding proteins in soluble, aggregated states, may be ideally suited to treating neurodegenerative diseases.
Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine.