[P‐069]: High resolution hydration analysis as a tool for the early diagnosis of misfolding disorders
Year: 2005
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The vital biological functions of proteins in the cell are based upon their intact native three dimensional structure. Stabilized by water, the structure of proteins is very much dependent on an equilibrium with its environment (hydration state) which can be significantly influenced by external factors such as temperature, ionic strength or drugs. Disturbance of this sensitive equilibrium often leads to protein misfolding and aggregation, a common pathological mechanism of degenerative disorders of aging including Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson Disease and prion disorders. The recent development of molecular acoustics opened up new application possibilities including high resolution monitoring of hydration changes in proteins. In the present study, we evaluated the disease specific hydration behavior of proteins during the thermal destabilization in CSF samples, based on high resolution molecular acoustic measurements. Analysis of the temperature induced hydration changes enabled a specific characterization of different dementia stages versus healthy controls. We validated to potential of molecular acoustic as a new diagnostic approach to aggregation disorders by investigating CSF samples from patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) an early form of human dementia. Comparison of the temperature profiles of ultrasonic velocities enabled a statistically significant differentiation of the MCI group from the healthy control group. Subsequent characterization of the ultrasonic velocity profiles by pattern recognition tools led to the differentiation of the MCI group from healthy groups. These results suggests that molecular acoustics represent a new technical solution for the characterization of early stages of neurodegenerative disorders and may provide a new entry point for diagnostic strategies of misfolding disorders
Source: Alzheimer s & Dementia
Authors: Daniel Gau, T. Funck, Hanna Bierbaum, Stefan Dickopf, Jurgen Schimitt, David Holtzman
Institution: Washington University in St. Louis
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2144202722