Design of Zwitterionic Conjugated Polymers as Protein Aggregation Inhibitors

Protein aggregation and misfolding is the root cause of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, and can be mitigated using small molecules, peptides, and conjugated or zwitterionic polymers. However, polymers that are both conjugated and zwitterionic have not been evaluated as protein aggregation/misfolding inhibitors. Herein, to bridge this gap, we prepare polymers with a conjugated backbone bearing zwitterionic sulfobetaine moieties and poly(ethylene glycol) chains and examine their abilities to inhibit protein aggregation. These polymers not only strongly inhibit the aggregation of amyloid β peptide (Aβ42) and other proteins but also actively disrupt and solubilize pre-established amyloid fibrils. This dual functionality enables almost complete fibril disaggregation at concentrations lower than those required for existing alternatives and results in protective capability extension across a broad spectrum of proteins. The results open new avenues for advancing neurodegenerative disease treatment strategies and represent considerable progress in the development of biomedical materials.