Amyloid-β peptide aggregation and the influence of carbon nanoparticles

Soluble peptides or proteins can self-aggregate into insoluble, ordered amyloid fibrils under appropriate conditions. These amyloid aggregates are the hallmarks of several human diseases ranging from neurodegenerative disorders to systemic amyloidoses. In this review, we first introduce the common structural features of amyloid fibrils and the amyloid fibrillation kinetics determined from experimental studies. Then, we discuss the structural models of Alzheimer's amyloid-beta (A beta) fibrils derived from solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. On the computational side, molecular dynamics simulations can provide atomic details of structures and the underlying oligomerization mechanisms. We finally summarize recent progress in atomistic simulation studies on the oligomerization of A beta (including full-length A beta and its fragments) and the influence of carbon nanoparticles.