Lina Moammar

How to optimally visualize early onset alzhiemers disease using ACh polymers?

Started Dec. 8, 2022

Abstract or project description

Acetylcholine (ACh) is an important neurotransmitter that is involved in various physiological processes, including muscle contraction, memory, and learning. Previous research has shown that a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease is a deficiency for ACh at the synapse. A lack of ACh contributes to learning impairments which is a primary indicator of early onset Alzheimer's disease. Itaconic acid, acrylamide, and methacrylamide are all compounds that contain amine groups, which are nitrogen-containing chemical groups that can act as proton acceptors. ACh is also a compound that contains an amine group, which makes it capable of forming hydrogen bonds with other amine-containing compounds. Due to the presence of these amine groups, in silico simulations revealed that itaconic acid, acrylamide, and methacrylamide have an unusually energetically favorable tendency to form a complex with ACh. The strong binding affinity of ACh for these compounds is most likely due to the formation of multiple hydrogen bonds between the amine groups, resulting in a stable complex. The ability of itaconic acid, acrylamide, and methacrylamide to strongly bind strongly to ACh makes them ideal candidates for use as biosensors. The formation of the complex between these compounds and ACh can be easily detected the best using optical biosensor techniques such as fluorescence or mass spectrometry, allowing for the highly sensitive and specific detection of ACh synoptic and biological samples such as brain biopsy that can be used to then diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. This review paper discusses the various methods in which itaconic acid, acrylamide, and methacrylamide can be used as biosensors to detect the quantity of ACh in the brain for diagnosis.