Publications by authors named "Gabriella Brinkley"
Article Synopsis
- Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is being studied as a treatment for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's by targeting toxic amyloid aggregates, although traditional methods face challenges with harmful off-target oxidation.
- A novel class of oligo--phenylene ethynylenes (OPEs) specifically binds and fluoresces in the presence of amyloid aggregates, demonstrating their ability to selectively generate singlet oxygen and photosensitize these aggregates under light.
- Compared to the conventional photosensitizer methylene blue, OPEs effectively oxidize amyloid fibrils without damaging surrounding cells, showcasing their potential as safer and more targeted theranostics in PDT for treating neurodegenerative disorders.
Amyloid protein aggregates are pathological hallmarks of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's (PD) diseases and are believed to be formed well before the onset of neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment. Monitoring the course of protein aggregation is thus vital to understanding and combating these diseases. We have recently demonstrated that a novel class of fluorescence sensors, oligomeric -phenylene ethynylene (PE)-based electrolytes (OPEs) selectively bind to and detect prefibrillar and fibrillar aggregates of AD-related amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides over monomeric Aβ.
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