Exploring pathological link between antimicrobial and amyloid peptides
Tang et al./PubMed/2024
Why It Matters
This caught my attention because it reframes neurodegenerative diseases through an infection lens. If amyloid plaques have antimicrobial properties and can be triggered by immune peptides fighting infections, it suggests brain disease might partly be collateral damage from immune responses. For anyone thinking about brain health, this adds weight to managing chronic infections and inflammation—not just focusing on the plaques themselves.
Key Findings
- Both amyloid and antimicrobial peptides form beta-sheet structures and disrupt cell membranes through similar mechanisms—they're structurally more alike than previously thought
- Amyloid peptides show direct antimicrobial activity, suggesting plaques in Alzheimer's might actually be a (maladaptive) immune response to infections
- Cross-seeding occurs where antimicrobial peptides trigger amyloid formation and vice versa—one peptide type can template the other's aggregation
- This bidirectional relationship creates a pathological loop: infections may accelerate neurodegeneration through antimicrobial peptides, while amyloid deposits may worsen by recruiting immune peptides
- The connection operates in both directions—not only can infections contribute to neurodegenerative disease, but amyloid pathology may affect how the body handles microbial threats
Read the Paper↗PMID: 39041297