Grant: Project Grant

Alzheimer's disease is progressive neurodegenerative disease for which currently no effective treatment exists that would maintain or even improve cognitive performance. Some genetic risk factors are well-known, however, it is difficult to figure out what happens to these risk factors once they are expressed in a cell. Still, scientists have only an incomplete understanding on the molecular processes that lead to Alzheimer's disease. In this proposal, my research team and I worked towards the goal to define with molecular detail what the purpose of one specific protein is, which is genetically linked to Alzheimer's disease: The amyloid precursor protein (APP). To date, its normal function in cells is unclear. However, if we were to understand these natural functions, we could develop entirely novel treatments strategies that are currently not pursued. Importantly, these novel APP-related treatments strategies would likely be disease-modifying and restore brain functions. In this proposal, we will perform experiments that will allow us to understand the normal function of APP and define what exactly changes when APP is absent. This knowledge will ultimately help us to understand which molecular processes are not working at the root cause of Alzheimer's disease.