A foldamer-dendrimer conjugate neutralizes synaptotoxic β-amyloid oligomers.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Unnatural self-organizing biomimetic polymers (foldamers) emerged as promising materials for biomolecule recognition and inhibition. Our goal was to construct multivalent foldamer-dendrimer conjugates which wrap the synaptotoxic β-amyloid (Aβ) oligomers with high affinity through their helical foldamer tentacles. Oligomeric Aβ species play pivotal role in Alzheimer's disease, therefore recognition and direct inhibition of this undruggable target is a great current challenge.

Methods and results

Short helical β-peptide foldamers with designed secondary structures and side chain chemistry patterns were applied as potential recognition segments and their binding to the target was tested with NMR methods (saturation transfer difference and transferred-nuclear

SUBMITTER: Fulop L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3408453 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature