Quantum in Neurodegeneration: Investigating A New Mechanism of Protein Damage

Findings related to quantum mechanics over the last century have had a pivotal role in our understanding of key physical, chemical, and biological features. Using manipulations of Schrödinger’s wavefunction, we describe electron tunneling through orbits. We extend our findings to a biological setting where we theorize an imbalance in exothermic biochemical reactions may contribute to protein damage. Additionally, we posit the cellular environment encourages electron binding among higher principal quantum orbits than traditionally assumed. This model can be one of many explanations for the sporadic nature of neurodegenerative disease where protein damage, misfolding, or aggregation is a key characteristic.