Speaker: Cong Liu, Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Time: 13:00-14:30 p.m., May 30, 2024, GMT+8

Venue: Rm 101, Jinguang Life Science Building, PKU

Abstract: 

In a range of neurodegenerative diseases, the formation of protein fibril aggregates-like tau and Abeta in Alzheimer's disease, TDP-43 in frontotemporal dementia, and a-synuclein in Parkinson's disease-is a key pathological plater and disease hallmark and. Focusing on these amyloid fibrils is vital for the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. During this presentation, I will discuss our recent findings on the unique interactions between ligands and amyloid fibrils, which differ significantly from conventional ligand-protein interactions. By elucidating these interactions at an atomic level, we have been able to develop a new PET imaging tracer by combining structure-based design and competition screening assay. This tracer has the unique ability to bind to pathological a-synuclein fibrils across different settings, including in vitro, within cell environments, and in PD animal models like mice, rats, and marmosets. The development of this PET tracer signifies a major advancement in facilitating the early and precise identification of Parkinson's disease.

Source: Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, PKU