Unraveling the structural basis of amyloid strains using gold nanoparticles

Written by Sharon Salt, Senior Editor

Amyloid fibrils are a well-known characteristic of Alzheimer's and similar diseases. These fibrils can exist in a variety of shapes and structures in the brain, with each exhibiting distinct properties from one another. Thus, capturing their differences and correlating them with disease symptoms in humans is crucial. A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has used cryogenic transmission electron microscopy to reveal that gold amphiphilic anionic nanoparticles with a diameter of approximately 3 nm have the unique ability to efficiently label the edge of amyloid fibrils in a hydrated state. This allows researchers to...

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