Novel Therpeutic Approaches For Alzheimers Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$604,734.00
Summary
There are currently no effective treatments for Alzheimer's disease. In this application we will develop a novel class of compound to assess their potential as AD therapeutics. These compounds will be tested in vitro and in vivo models of Alzheimer's disease. The successful conclusion of the work described here would provide new leads suitable for further development as therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease.
Genetic Mechanisms That Moderate Effects Of Aβ Accumulation In Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$603,525.00
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, and the number of people living with it will triple by 2050. There is currently no cure for AD, and the only means of slow the growing epidemic is to delay onset. We propose to understand the complex interplay between genetic, cognitive, neuroimaging and biological markers of AD in order to better understand the disease process, and in turn identify high-risk individuals for clinical trials and uncover disease-modifying strategies.
The Role Of Copper In Ubiquitin-dependent Protein Degradation In Alzheimer's Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$588,622.00
Summary
Ubiquitin’s are small proteins that tag other proteins in a process known as “Ubiquitination”. Often this is to target them for degradation once they are no longer needed i.e. to take out the rubbish. This process is disrupted in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which may contribute to the disease. This project aims to find out if copper, an essential metal for life, is required for this process. Drugs that are designed to deliver copper to brain cells have been effective in small AD clinical trials.
Understanding The Contribution Of Iron In Traumatic Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$601,263.00
Summary
Our group has discovered a novel role of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in cellular iron balance similar to another protein called ceruloplasmin (CP). Both, prevalently found in the brain, convert a damaging iron variety into the safer form. Disruption in either protein leads to cell death. We aim to establish how failure in APP and CP response may be detrimental to traumatic brain injury recovery. Understanding the iron role of APP and CP will lead to therapeutics to counter traumatic injury.
APLP2: A Neuroprotective Receptor For Acute Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$648,739.00
Summary
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the major cause of deaths in Australians under 45 years of age. We have shown that the amyloid precursor protein (APP) is protective in models of TBI. To understand how APP is neuroprotective we have isolated APP binding proteins and identified the amyloid precursor-like protein 2 (APLP2) molecule as a strong candidate for the APP-neuroprotective receptor. This grant will investigate the interaction between APP and APLP2 as a novel neuroprotective pathway in TBI.
Exploring Scanning Ultrasound (SUS), A Novel Method To Treat And Prevent Neurodegenerative Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$765,708.00
Summary
We developed a novel scanning ultrasound (SUS) protocol that clears toxic protein aggregates and restores memory function in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD), without the need for therapeutic agents. Here we aim to determine whether SUS has preventative potential, whether there are synergistic effects, and whether a therapeutic antibody combined with SUS leads to an enhanced therapeutic outcome. Together this will guide the development of an ultrasound therapy in AD patients.