Grant: Project Grant

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder in the world, estimated to currently affect over 35 million people globally. As the life expectancy continues to increase, the number of Canadians suffering from this debilitating, adult-onset disease (2011: 747,000 affected with $33B health care costs) is expected to double by 2040 (over 1.4M affected, $293B health care costs). In part, AD neurodegeneration is caused by a specific peptide (amyloid-beta (Abeta)) that forms toxic aggregates in the brain. Recently, we have identified an Abeta-oligomer Interacting Peptide (AIP) that provides beneficial effects by decreasing Abeta neurotoxicity. In this proposal, we will test a novel, next generation AIP molecule to (i) advance our understanding of the molecular processes leading to amyloid plaque formation in the brain, and (ii) explore the consequences of our novel approach to inhibit neurotoxicity of Abeta.