Proteins that misfold and clump together in the body, forming deposits that can damage organs like the heart and brain.
From amyl- (relating to starch) + -oid (resembling); coined in the 1800s because scientists initially thought these deposits were starch-like, though we now know they're proteins.
Amyloid deposits are responsible for diseases like Alzheimer's and certain types of dementia—your brain literally gets clogged with misfolded proteins that spread like a cellular domino chain, which is why researchers are racing to develop treatments that stop them early.
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