Ludmilla Morazova-Roche at Umeå University in Sweden to Present at GTCbio's 2nd Protein Therapeutics Discovery & Development Conference
Ludmilla Morazova-Roche at Umeå University in Sweden to Present at GTCbio's 2nd Protein Therapeutics Discovery & Development conference on September 8-9, 2008 in San Diego, CA


    /Biotechnology News Articles/ - MONROVIA, CA, June 13, 2008 - Dr. Ludmilla Morazova-Roche, from the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics at Umeå University in Sweden will be speaking at GTCbio's 2nd Protein Therapeutics Discovery & Development conference on September 8-9, 2008 in San Diego, CA. Dr. Morazova-Roche will present on Amyloid as a new challenge in protein based therapeutics.

Significant advances in therapeutic applications of proteins and peptides have brought new challenges in the field of drug development, among which an ordered protein aggregation or amyloid formation plays an important part. In contrast to amorphous aggregation, the amyloid self-association of polypeptides results in the structurally organized protein polymers known as amyloid fibrils. Due to extensive research in protein folding and amyloid diseases amyloid self-assembly has recently emerged as a universal phenomenon. The amyloid represents a new generic structure characterized by cross-β-sheet formation in its core, which implies that any polypeptide can adopt this conformation under amyloid-prone conditions. Some widely-used biopharmaceuticals such as insulin, glucagon, amylin and calcitonin have been shown to form amyloids and this list may be significantly extended upon further research. Compared to soluble precursor proteins and amorphous aggregates amyloids gain new properties such as remarkable stability and protease resistance, polymorphism, self-propagation via seeding and cross-seeding, cytotoxicity and induced immunogenicity. Some of them can be hazardous in biopharmaceutical applications. The causes of amyloid aggregation and strategies for its prevention which utilize the current knowledge of amyloid properties, structure-based design principles and protein chemistry are discussed using insulin, lysozyme, de novo protein albebetin and Ab peptide as model systems. Once these challenges are met and amyloid formation is avoided or reversed, these will lead to safer and surer pharmaceuticals.

GTCbio's 2nd Annual Protein Therapeutics Discovery and Development Conference will explore the therapeutic applications of proteins, with a look at discovery and design of therapeutics, overcoming challenges associated with protein based drugs, and new tools and strategies in process development. Finally, attendees will get an update on novel developments in protein therapeutics. The keynote presentation will be given by Dr. Michael Hanley, Vice President of Discovery Research & CSO of Amylin Pharmaceuticals.

For more information including a detailed agenda, exhibitor opportunities and registration information visit http://gtcbio.com/conferenceDetails.aspx?id=128.

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