A Sri Lankan scientist at the University of Heidelberg and the German Cancer Research Centre has uncovered a key mechanism which human cells use to efficiently dissolve aggregated proteins that are linked to disease and aging.

Until now, very little was known about how our natural defences reverse the process of protein aggregation in multi cellular organisms, and this has been a subject of immense debate and importance for a long time in the protein quality control field.

Proteins are large, complex molecules that play many critical roles in the body. They do most of the work in cells and are required for the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs. Proteins are made up of hundreds or thousands of smaller units called amino acids, which are attached to one another in long chains. There are 20 different types of amino acids that can be combined to make a protein. The sequence of amino acids determines each protein’s unique three-dimensional structure and its specific function.

Dr. Nadinath Nillegoda, a Sri Lankan is the lead scientist of the team pioneering this field in Heidelberg, Germany and is a proud product of Trinity College ,, Kandy.

According to the research team, one of the major challenges now is to fully understand the physiological role and clinical potential of this newly discovered machine allowing scientists to translate these exciting findings into rational therapeutic interventions in the future.

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