Optimization of prion assemblies fragmentation

This work is motivated by our desire to substantially improve our understanding of prion assembly formation and spreading, which could provide a better insight into underpinnings of many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Prion diseases. Moreover, our investigation may help lay the foundation for designing experiments to identify key steps in the kinetic pathway of prion assembly formation which could serve as potential therapeutic targets in rational drug design. Our approach is based on employing geometric optimal control to analyze fragmentation of prion assemblies with a focus on the role of singular extremals. It may help to significantly accelerate the current amplification protocols, such as the Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification, and hence substantially reduce the time needed to diagnose many neurodegenerative diseases.