Sugarcoat the protein: an in vitro approach towards the implications of AGEs in neurodegeneration

Summary

In my PhD research, I studied how sugars react with proteins in the body, forming compounds called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These AGEs gradually build up as we age and are especially high in people with diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. However we still do not know if there is a causal link between AGEs and diseases. The most prevalent hypothesis linking AGEs with disease, is that AGEs can trigger inflammation. To explore this, I used human serum albumin, the most common protein in our blood, as a model. I tested whether AGE-albumin could spark inflammation in immune cells or interfere with the brain’s natural defence system against harmful proteins involved in Alzheimer’s disease, like amyloid-β. My results showed that AGE-albumin does not directly cause inflammation, but AGE-albumin showed reduced protective function against amyloid-β. This suggests that AGE-modified proteins may contribute to ageing and disease by weakening the body’s natural defence mechanisms.