Structural Biology of Alzheimer's Disease
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)

Amyloid peptides are the main component of senile plaques in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and they may play a central role in neurodegeneration. There are however factors such as oxidative stress, that may be crucial for the development of the disease.  We have shown that µFTIR Microscopy permits the co-localization of amyloid deposits and lipid peroxidation in brain tissue slides. We find that in samples from AD-patients the plaques and their immediate surroundings show always the presence of oxidized lipids. However, it is known that plaques can be detected in the brains of some non-AD individuals. In such cases, the lipid in the plaques is not oxidized. These results point to lipid oxidation as a possible key factor in the development of the dementia. In this process, the oxidative power of the amyloid peptide, possibly in the form of non-fibrillar aggregates, could play a central role.