Culprit implicated in neurodegenerative diseases also critical for normal cells
Thursday, June 13, 2013 - 12:03
in Biology & Nature
The propensity of proteins to stick together in large clumps -- termed "protein aggregation" -- is the culprit behind a variety of conditions including Huntington's and Alzheimer's. With this notoriety, protein aggregation is considered to be a bad accident of nature. But new research shows that, when kept in balance, protein aggregation has beneficial functions that allow cells to organize themselves. The findings will be valuable as researchers design treatments for diseases that involve this process.