Professor Dieter Willbold

Aβ oligomer elimination, cognition enhancement and deceleration of neurodegeneration in tg AD mouse models by an orally available compound

Oligomeric amyloid β (Aβ) is suspected of being the most toxic species in Aβ aggregation and of being responsible for development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Development of compounds that are able to eliminate already formed, toxic Aβ oligomers is very desirable. In the recent years, we have developed all-D-enantiomeric peptides that are able to directly and specifically eliminate toxic Aβ oligomers in vitro. The in vivo proof of concept for “D3”, the lead compound of this development, was accomplished in several treatment studies. Here, we describe in vivo efficacy of the improved D3 derivative “rational design 2” (RD2). RD2 was able to reverse the cognitive deficit and to significantly reduce Aβ pathology even after oral administration in old-aged transgenic AD mice with full blown pathology and deficits. Preclinical and safety and toxicology yielded very favourable properties. Therefore, we are just about to start a first-in-human phase I clinical trial to show safety also in humans.

Date:Time:Venue:

Thursday, 5th April 20182:30 – 3:30pm followed by afternoon teaLowy Building, Level 4 seminar room

Prof Dieter Willbold studied biochemistry in Tübingen (Germany), Bayreuth (Germany) and Boulder (Colorado, USA). He completed his PhD in 1994 at the University of Bayreuth, followed by post-doctoral work in Bayreuth and the Sackler School of MedicineTel-Aviv University. He headed a junior research group at the Institute for Molecular Biotechnology in Jena and in 2001 Willbold became an associate Professor at the Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf. Since 2004, he is full professor at the Institute of Physical Biology in Düsseldorf and director of the Institute of Complex Systems in the Research Centre Jülich. His main interests are protein ligand interactions, structural biology, neurodegeneration and autophagy.

BiographyInstitut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; and Institute of Complex Systems, ICS-6: Structural Biochemistry, Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.

Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA)Visiting Lecture