Scientists have developed a powerful new artificial intelligence tool that could change the way we understand and treat brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
The tool, called RibbonFold, can predict how certain proteins misfold into harmful shapes—an essential step in the development of many neurodegenerative disorders.
The research, led by Mingchen Chen of China’s Changping Laboratory and Peter Wolynes of Rice University, was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
RibbonFold focuses on amyloids, which are long, twisted fibers made of proteins that build up in the brains of people with neurological diseases.
These protein clumps are toxic and are believed to play a central role in memory loss and other symptoms.
Most existing AI tools, like AlphaFold2 and AlphaFold3, were designed to predict how healthy proteins fold into functional shapes.
But disease-linked proteins often fold incorrectly, forming flexible, ribbon-like structures instead of neat, round ones.
RibbonFold was specially designed to deal with these misfolded forms, and it’s proving to be much more accurate in this specific area than earlier tools.
The researchers trained RibbonFold using known data on the structure of amyloid fibrils. They then tested it on new structures that weren’t part of the training data—and it still performed exceptionally well.
The results suggest that the tool not only captures the shape of misfolded proteins but also tracks how they change over time.
According to Wolynes, the AI shows that these harmful protein fibers can shift into more stable, but more dangerous, forms as time passes, possibly explaining why symptoms of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s often appear later in life.
Understanding how these misfolded proteins evolve could be a game-changer for drug development. With RibbonFold, scientists can now pinpoint the most disease-relevant shapes of these proteins and design medications that bind to them more effectively. This precision could lead to better treatments with fewer side effects.
Mingchen Chen says this discovery solves a long-standing mystery in biology—why the same protein can misfold in different ways, causing a range of diseases. It also opens doors to new uses beyond medicine, such as designing synthetic materials that mimic protein behavior.
Wolynes believes that RibbonFold is not just an improvement in AI, but a major step toward fighting some of the most devastating brain diseases. By helping us understand and predict how harmful proteins behave, this tool may lead to better ways to prevent or stop the progression of these illnesses.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies about the protective power of dietary antioxidants against Alzheimer’s, and eating habits linked to higher Alzheimer’s risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that oral cannabis extract may help reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms, and Vitamin E may help prevent Parkinson’s disease.
Source: Rice University.
