Patent ID: 7803774

Claim:
A compound comprising the structure: wherein Xaa 1 and Xaa 2 are each D-amino acid structures and are independently selected from the group consisting of a D-leucine structure, a D-phenylalanine structure, a D-tyrosine structure, a D-iodotyrosine structure, a D-lysine structure, and a D-valine structure; NH—NH is a hydrazine structure; Y, which may or may not be present, is a structure having the formula (Xaa) a , wherein Xaa is any D-amino acid structure and a is an integer from 1 to 15; Xaa 1 ′, Xaa 2 ′, and Xaa 3 ′which may or may not be present, are each D-amino acid or L-amino acid structures and at least two of Xaa 1 ′, Xaa 2 ′, and Xaa 3 ′are, independently, selected from the group consisting of a D- or L-leucine structure, a D- or L-phenylalanine structure, a D- or L-tyrosine structure, a D- or L-iodotyrosine structure, a D- or L-lysine structure, and a D- or L-valine structure; Z is a structure having the formula (Xaa) b , wherein Xaa is any D-amino acid structure and b is an integer from 1 to 15; A, which may or may not be present, is a modifying group covalently attached to the compound; and n is an integer from 1 to 15; wherein the compound binds to natural β-amyloid peptides or inhibits the aggregation or the neurotoxicity of natural β-amyloid peptides when contacted with the natural β-amyloid peptides.