Researchers at the University of Essex have developed microscopic medicines, called intrabodies, that could potentially pave the way for new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and motor neurone disease (MND). These fragments are designed to remain stable within human cells, allowing them to target proteins associated with these conditions. The artificial intelligence-driven research was led by Dr. Caitlin O’Shea and Dr. Gareth Wright from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Essex.

The key factor in determining whether antibody fragments can stay stable and functional inside cells is electrical charge. Using this insight, along with AI-powered protein redesign, the researchers converted 672 different antibodies into intrabodies capable of targeting important disease-related proteins. The advance could give scientists new ways to study and potentially treat neurodegenerative diseases by acting directly inside living cells where many biological processes involved in these conditions begin.

The findings were published in Nature Communications and will be made freely available to other scientists, allowing them to repurpose millions of existing antibodies for use as laboratory tools and potential treatments aimed at disease-causing proteins. The MND Association welcomed the research findings, highlighting their potential importance for future treatments that could combine novel intrabody science with emerging gene therapy techniques.

This is a summary. Read the original at sciencedaily.com.