Aguzzi
Fakultäten » Medizinische Fakultät » Neuropathologie, Institut für » Prof. Dr. Adriano Aguzzi » Aguzzi
Completed research project
| Title / Titel | Functional genomics approach to identify general molecular pathogenetic mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders | ||||
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| Abstract (PDF, 14 KB) | |||||
| Summary / Zusammenfassung | Many neurodegenerative disorders share common pathological features, such as accumulation of misfolded host proteins in the Central Nervous System, ultimately leading to neuronal cell death. These include Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and prion diseases also called Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs), such as Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (CJD). AD, PD and TSEs converge in many pathogenetic aspects and likely share common underlying molecular features responsible for, and/or associated with, the neurodegenerative process. The precise molecular steps and biochemical pathways that lead to brain damage are poorly characterised and would be accelerated significantly by the study of a suitable cell culture model. However, whilst such a model does not exist for AD and PD, there are well established neuronal cell models of TSEs, exhibiting features common to other neurodegenerative diseases, and which can be cured of these properties also. We intend to utilise this as a general model to elucidate transcriptional cascades resulting from misfolded protein aggregation by a functional genomics approach. Identification of such transcripts will undoubtedly advance our basic understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in pathological accumulation of misfolded proteins and, importantly those which may contribute to the process of clearance of these proteins. | ||||
| Keywords / Suchbegriffe | Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Prion disease, neurodegeneration, microarray | ||||
| Project leadership and contacts / Projektleitung und Kontakte |
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| Funding source(s) / Unterstützt durch |
Foundation |
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| Duration of Project / Projektdauer | Mar 2005 to Feb 2008 |