The identification of more efficient therapies for defeating severe degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's is a major goal of drug discovery research. Realizing this ambitious goal will likely require a series of molecular insights that shed light on the fundamental mechanisms that drive the formation, growth, stability, and toxicity of Aβ(1-40) amyloid fibrils, one of the most abundant species found in affected brain tissues and potentially a major player in the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Amyloid fibrils feature a highly ordered and dense network of hydrogen bonds, a universal feature of all amyloid structures, which is realized by a highly regular stacking of small β-units that are each stabilized by an intrapeptide salt bridge.
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