Targeting Prion Protein and Alzheimer's disease Amyloid Peptide by Peptide Ligands

The presently established models of prion propagation are based on the essential role of the host-encoded prion protein (PrP). Development and progression of the disease implies ongoing conversion of its non-pathological isoform PrPC into its pathological isoform PrPSc. Thus, any stabilization of the PrPC conformation should slow down or inhibit conversion of PrPC into PrPSc. We screened a phage displayed peptide library to ultimately identify high affinity ligands that bind to and stabilize PrPC. A similar approach was used to identify ligands that specifically bind to Alzheimer's disease (AD) amyloid peptide A…