Oxidative mechanisms of amyloid initiation

Project Summary

Patients with Alzheimer's disease experience a gradual loss of memory, problems with reasoning, disorientation, loss of language skills, and behavioral problems. The major cause of the disease is thought to be the misfolding of a specific protein within the brain. Many researchers hypothesize that oxidation and free radical damage to the brain predates the protein misfolding and the clumping of protein fragments into plaques. Dr. Murray is investigating the interactions of oxidation and free radical damage with the brain lipids and misfolded proteins. It is hoped that the resulting knowledge will assist in the development of new treatment methods for Alzheimer's and possibly other neurodegenerative diseases.