What Scientists Are Doing to Prevent Amyloid Diseases

Transthyretin (TTR) related cardiac amyloidosis is a progressive infiltrative cardiomyopathy that mimics hypertensive, hypertrophic heart disease and often goes undiagnosed. In the United States, the hereditary form disproportionately afflicts Blacks, who when compared to Whites with wild type TTR amyloidosis, a phenotypically similar condition, present with more advanced disease despite having a non-invasive method for early identification (genetic testing). While reasons for this are unclear, this begs to consider the inadequate access to care, societal factors or a biological basis.

So, what are scientists and doctors doing to prevent this?

When folded the right way, proteins in the body perform their jobs as efficiently as any well-designed factory machine. Folded the wrong way, disease can strike.

Scientists in California have found a way to prevent proteins from misfolding and thereby potentially prevent or at least arrest any one of hundreds of “amyloid” diseases. The study was done in a laboratory setting, but tests on humans are underway.

“Ideally, if you knew who was at risk for the disease, you would

Transthyretin (TTR) related cardiac amyloidosis is a progressive infiltrative cardiomyopathy that mimics hypertensive, hypertrophic heart disease and often goes undiagnosed. In the United States, the hereditary form disproportionately afflicts Blacks, who when compared to Whites with wild type TTR amyloidosis, a phenotypically similar condition, present with more advanced disease despite having a non-invasive method for early identification (genetic testing). While reasons for this are unclear, this begs to consider the inadequate access to care, societal factors or a biological basis.

So, what are scientists and doctors doing to prevent this?

When folded the right way, proteins in the body perform their jobs as efficiently as any well-designed factory machine. Folded the wrong way, disease can strike.

Scientists in California have found a way to prevent proteins from misfolding and thereby potentially prevent or at least arrest any one of hundreds of “amyloid” diseases. The study was done in a laboratory setting, but tests on humans are underway.

“Ideally, if you knew who was at risk for the disease, you would