Human cystatin C induces the disaggregation process of selected amyloid beta peptides: a structural and kinetic view.

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and various types of amyloidosis, are incurable; therefore, understanding the mechanisms of amyloid decomposition is crucial to develop an effective drug against them for future therapies. It has been reported that one out of three people over the age of 85 are suffering from dementia as a comorbidity to AD. Amyloid beta (Aβ), the hallmark of AD, transforms structurally from monomers into β-stranded aggregates (fibrils) via multiple oligomeric states.

Identification of a Steric Zipper Motif in the Amyloidogenic Core of Human Cystatin C and Its Use for the Design of Self-Assembling Peptides.

Amyloid fibrils have been known for many years. Unfortunately, their fame stems from negative aspects related to amyloid diseases. Nevertheless, due to their properties, they can be used as interesting nanomaterials.

The Process of Binding and Releasing of Genetic Material from Lipoplexes Based on Trimeric Surfactants and Phospholipids.

Nonviral vectors for gene therapy such as lipoplexes are characterized by low toxicity, high biocompatibility, and good transfection efficiency. Specifically, lipoplexes based on polymeric surfactants and phospholipids have great potential as gene carriers due to the increased ability to bind genetic material (multiplied positive electric charge) while lowering undesirable effects (the presence of lipids makes the system more like natural membranes). This study aimed to test the ability to bind and release genetic material by lipoplexes based on trimeric surfactants and lipid formulations of different compositions and to characterize formed complexes by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM).