Recognition of pathogenic protein deposits with a specific antibody fragment

Diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, are thought to arise from the formation of filamentous protein deposits, termed amyloid fibrils. The development of new diagnostic or therapeutic procedures critically depends on the availability of molecules, such as antibodies, which specifically recognize the fibrils or their structural precursors. However,  it has so far remained largely enigmatic why amyloid fibrils might be recognized by these ligands. The research group of Marcus Fändrich has now addressed this question.