Rational design of an orthosteric regulator of hIAPP aggregation.

Developing compounds regulating amyloid toxic oligomer but not fibril formation should constitute an effective strategy for the treatment of diabetes. Based on the full understanding of the folding mechanism, we designed an orthosteric helix regulator that can promote hIAPP to assemble into large non-cytotoxic oligomers. As a result, the islet cells were protected.