neurodegenerative disease
Brianne Rogers, PhD, looking at cell culture plates with lab members Erin Barinaga, Becky Hauser, PhD, and Jared Taylor
IDENTIFYING BIOMARKERS OF NEURODEGENERATION Because neurodegeneration is a progressive process, cell damage in the brain occurs years, sometimes decades, before symptom onset. To truly reduce the global burden of neurodegen- erative disease, scientists and physicians must be able to identify early changes in the brain that indicate potential neurodegeneration. By identifying early genetic changes associated with these diseases, scientists can develop noninva- sive tests to diagnose them before much damage has occurred. Blood-based biomarkers are a promising method to identify neurodegenerative disease pathol- ogy early. A few blood-based biomarkers are currently in use for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease but there is a growing need for more. Dr. Myers and his lab are involved in several research studies seeking to find blood-based biomarkers for various neurodegenerative diseases. For several years, they’ve led a study in
innovative path for achieving tau reduction in the human brain. Using what they’ve learned in studying MAPT , Cochran and his lab are expanding their research into the regulation of other neurodegenerative disease genes. Brianne Rogers, PhD , a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Cochran lab, is leading research funded through the American Parkinson’s Disease Association to study the gene SNCA , which encodes the protein alpha-synuclein that forms damaging Lewy bodies in the brains of Parkinson’s disease patients. Through an Alzheimer’s Association -funded grant, Cochran and his team are also studying the regulation of APP , the gene that provides instructions for amyloid protein that is involved in Alzheimer’s disease. By studying how APP is turned on or off, they hope to better understand the role it plays in Alzheimer’s disease risk and shed light on ways to regulate the gene through potential therapeutics.
HUDSONALPHA INSTITUTE FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY
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