Structural biology of proteins involved in mental illnesses
- Research Opportunity
- PhD students, Masters by Research
- Department / Centre
- Medicine
- Location
- St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research
| Primary Supervisor | Number | Webpage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prof Michael Parker | mparker@svi.edu.au | Personal web page |
Summary Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the fourth biggest killer in developed countries. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) plays a central role in the development of AD, through generation of the toxic Abeta peptide by proteolytic breakdown of APP. Here we will use X-ray crystallography at the Australian Synchrotron to determine the 3D atomic structures of Abeta bound to therapeutic antibodies currently in clinical trials in order to understand how these molecules recognise Abeta. We use this information to engineer more potent antibodies as treatments for AD.
Project Details
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the fourth biggest killer in developed countries. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) plays a central role in the development of AD, through generation of the toxic Abeta peptide by proteolytic breakdown of APP. Here we will use X-ray crystallography at the Australian Synchrotron to determine the 3D atomic structures of Abeta bound to therapeutic antibodies currently in clinical trials in order to understand how these molecules recognise Abeta. We have also developed novel diabodies which can target Abeta for elimination. Structural biology will guide engineering of more potent antibodies and diabodies as treatments for AD.
Faculty Research Themes
School Research Themes
Research Opportunities
PhD students, Masters by Research
Students who are interested in joining this project will need to consider their elegibility as well as other requirements before contacting the supervisor of this research
Key Contact
For further information about this research, please contact a supervisor.
Department / Centre
Research Group / Unit / Centre
Research Node
St Vincent's Institute of Medical ResearchMDHS Research library
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