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Amyloidosis is a group of rare but serious conditions caused by deposits of abnormal protein, called amyloid, in tissues and organs throughout the body. Proteins begin as a string of amino acids that fold themselves into a three-dimensional shape. This ‘protein folding’ allows them to perform useful functions within our cells. Amyloid is a description of proteins which have folded abnormally and then collected together. In this form they do not break down as easily as normal proteins and can build up in tissues and organs. If this build-up causes the tissues or organs to stop working properly, the resulting conditions are called amyloidosis. The amyloid deposits occasionally only affect one part of the body (localized amyloidosis), but more often several different part of the body are affected (systemic amyloidosis), such as the heart, kidneys, liver, or nerves. Without treatment to address the underlying cause, the amyloid deposits can eventually lead to organ failure and death – sometimes within only a year or two.