A Toxic Cascade: When the Brain Consumes Itself [Slide Show]

In the brain, bent-out-of-shape proteins can cause devastating neurological diseases

RELENTLESS PROGRESSION: The fragmentation and seeding progresses and more plaque builds up.
FROM BAD TO WORSE: Oligomers and protofibrils fragment and continue the seeding that causes Aβ molecules to aggregate.
THE ROAD TO SENILITY: Oligomers and protofibrils assemble into long fibers that later coalesce into senile plaques that can damage brain tissue, leading eventually to the dementia characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.
THE CASCADE CONTINUES: This process does not stop and aggregations of Aβ called oligomers and protofibrils accumulate.
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A BAD SEED Mis-folded Aβ acts as a "seed" that causes other normal Aβ proteins to bend out of shape and mis-fold as well.
MIS-FOLDING BEGINS Aging, genes, head injury and other factors can cause the molecule to contort and mis-fold into an improper shape.
A TOXIC CASCADE: Aβ (amyloid beta) is a normal brain protein molecule.

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