Infection & Alzheimer’s Disease: Investigating Curli Fiber-Amyloid Beta Interactions Using Novel Inclusion Assay

As the general population ages the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the leading cause of dementia, has dramatically increased in recent years. One of the main hallmarks of this disease is the buildup of amyloid beta peptides in the brain. This peptide is capable of damaging the cell membranes of neurons and aggregating into plaques that disrupt neural communication. As current therapies targeting amyloid beta peptide are mostly ineffective at halting the progression of cognitive decline, the investigation of novel pathways and drug targets is of utmost importance. Infection and/or changes in gut microbes have been linked as a risk factor for AD and could provide information into new targets or pathways for therapeutic development. These changes in gut microbes include increases in strains that produce curli fibers, a protein that enables the persistence of bacterial species in the host. Our proposed research aims to evaluate the ability of these bacterial curli fibers to bind to the well-known AD-associated amyloid-beta peptide and to affect the ability of the amyloid-beta to initiate its toxic AD disease mechanisms.

Faculty Supervisor:

Zoya Leonenko

Student:

Partner:

Utrecht University

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Biotechnology; Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Life Sciences (not health)

University:

University of Waterloo

Program: