Chaperones to the Rescue: Tackling Neurodegenerative Diseases and Potential Therapeutic Applications

Abstract

Protein misfolding has been identified as a contributing factor in several neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Huntington's disease (HD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and Parkinson’s disease (PD). One common characteristic observed among individuals affected by these illnesses is the aggregation of deposits consisting of misfolded proteins. The occurrence of abnormal protein folding can lead to toxicity by either impairing or enhancing protein function, or both. One promising treatment strategy for these diseases is to use protein-remodeling factors to correct misfolded proteins and restore protein structure and function back to its native state. Hence, the interaction between chaperones and protein folding/degradation pathways plays a vital role in developing novel therapeutic drugs for these neurodegenerative diseases