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Updated: May 12, 2026

Assays for the Degradation of Misfolded Proteins in Cells
Published on: August 28, 2016
[Immunotherapy targeting misfolded proteins in neurodegenerative disease]
1Department of Neurology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital, Japan.
Abstract:
Aberrant protein aggregation is closely linked to the molecular pathogeneses of most neurodegenerative diseases. The major components of pathological aggregates have been characterized in various neurodegenerative diseases; for example, amyloid β-protein and phosphorylated tau in Alzheimer's disease, α-synuclein in Parkinson's disease, SOD1 or TDP-43 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and huntingtin in Huntington's disease. These misfolded protein aggregates play a vital role in disease initiation and progression, and they have recently been shown to have prion-like spreading or seeded aggregation properties. Immunotherapy with specific monoclonal antibodies is a promising approach to clear misfolded protein aggregates and treat various neurodegenerative diseases; it is planned for use in clinical trials in the near future.
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