Using math to help treat Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other diseases

Using math to help treat Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other diseases
Illustration of protein aggregation. Aggregates are formed through an initial primary nucleation step followed by elongation. Once a critical concentration of aggregates is reached, secondary nucleation introduces a positive feedback cycle leading to exponential growth of aggregate concentration. Credit: L Mahadevan/Harvard SEAS

Protein aggregation—in which misfolded proteins clump together to form large fibrils—has been implicated in many diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and type II diabetes. While the exact role these fibrils play in diseases isn’t fully understood, many of the current treatments for diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s target the aggregation process. However, finding the right treatment protocols for these drugs, which can be toxic in large doses, is challenging.

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