Grant: Project Grant

The development of an effective treatment for most ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and FTD (frontotemporal dementia) patients has been difficult, partly because we don't fully understand the molecular causes of these diseases. One promising area of research focuses on stress granules-structures that help protect neurons, the brain's critical cells, from damage caused by harmful conditions or environmental stress. Neurons cannot regenerate, so they rely on stress granules to survive these challenges. A protein called G3BP1 is essential for forming stress granules, and our research has shown that it is regulated by another important protein called TDP-43. In ALS and FTD patients, TDP-43 is often misplaced within neurons, leading to problems with stress granule formation. By understanding how G3BP1 and TDP-43 interact, we aim to uncover new therapeutic approaches to protect neurons and slow the progression of ALS and FTD.