AI tool unlocks longstanding misfolding mystery behind Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases

Originally published by Rice University, at https://medicalxpress.com, on April 15, 2025


 Schematic diagram of RibbonFold. Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2501321122

A novel artificial intelligence (AI) tool has revealed how disease-linked proteins misfold into harmful structures, a key advance in understanding neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

The study, led by Mingchen Chen of the Changping Laboratory and Rice University's Peter Wolynes, introduces RibbonFold, a new computational method capable of predicting the structures of amyloids—long, twisted fibers that accumulate in the brains of patients suffering from neurological decline.

The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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