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The MASSPROT platform is contributing to the characterisation of proteins involved in Alzheimer's disease.
While today only an autopsy can determine with certainty whether a patient is suffering from Alzheimer's disease or another neurodegenerative pathology, scientists at UCLouvain have discovered a way to reliably diagnose the Alzheimer's disease while the patient is still alive.
How?
By using mass spectrometry to analyse the 'post-translational' modifications of the soluble Tau protein, i.e. the modifications that affect any protein produced.
This study was published in Nature Communications.