Amyloid fibrils help deliver RNA into sperm and embryos Often associated with neurodegenerative disease, amyloid fibrils may also help transport genetic material during fertilization. Written byBree Foster, PhD

Amyloid fibrils help deliver RNA into sperm and embryos Often associated with neurodegenerative disease, amyloid fibrils may also help transport genetic material during fertilization. Written byBree Foster, PhD https://www.drugdiscoverynews.com/amyloid-fibrils-help-deliver-rna-into-sperm-and-embryos-17629 Amyloid fibrils — protein structures commonly associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's — may have an unexpected role in reproduction, according to a study recently published in Molecular Cell. Researchers at Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute found that amyloid fibrils in seminal fluid can bind RNA and help transport it into sperm and embryos. The findings suggest these structures may have a previously unrecognized role in transferring genetic material during fertilization, while also raising questions about whether their properties could eventually be harnessed to deliver RNA-based therapeutics or components of gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR.