Texas Advanced Computing Center - Small Molecule May Play Big Role in Alzheimer’s Disease

Accumulations of amyloid plaques have long been associated with the disease and were presumed to be its cause. New findings support a hypothesis that fibrils are a by-product of the disease rather than the toxic agent itself. This paradigm shift changes the focus of inquiry to smaller, intermediate molecules that form and dissipate quickly. These molecules are difficult to perceive in brain tissue.