Crossbeta Biosciences, a Netherlands based firm focused in the area of misfolded protein diseases, has partnered with AdAlta, which has developed a technology that uses modified shark antibodies and their human analogue, the i-body, for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
According to Crossbeta, all misfolded proteins contain a crossbeta structure, which normally forms a signal for the elimination of obsolete proteins. When, for some reason, elimination is not successful, misfolded proteins tend to stick together, which gives rise to so called protein oligomers, eventually leading to deposits of large protein aggregates. Recent insight have shown that these oligomers can lead to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and type 2 diabetes.
Working together, the companies will deploy AdAlta’s i-body technology to develop oligomer-specific i-bodies for Alzheimer’s disease applications using Crossbeta’s stabilized beta-amyloid oligomers.
Crossbeta claims its oligomer-stabilizing technology generates well-defined oligomers, thus solving the problems related to the elusive nature of oligomer preparations. The stabilized oligomers can be purified to remove monomers and fibrils. The resulting homogeneous oligomers are stable while their pathological functionality is maintained, the firm said.
