A Mathematical Model Describing Interactions Between Oligomers, Prion Proteins, and Ca2+

ABSTRACT Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes irreversible damage to the nervous system. It is characterized by the presence in the brain of A peptides, which are derived from a larger protein called APP, which is naturally present in the cerebral tissue. A peptides are known to aggregate in different shapes among are fibrils and oligomers. A oligomers are thought to be the most toxic form as they have the ability to bind to healthy prions and misfold those latters into a pathogenic form called . Moreover, A oligomers tend to increase the level of calcium ions, causing dysregulations in neuronal Ca2+ homeostasis. In this work, we have developed a model describing the evolution of concentrations of A oligomers, prions, and calcium ions to help the understanding of the toxic effect of oligomers in the brain.