Grant: Project Grant

Why do some cells die in neurodegenerative diseases while others are spared? In many diseases, the same sub-population of neurons die, while others are resilient, meaning that the pattern of cell death is common to several diseases. Studying the disease mechanisms that are common to the vulnerable cells across diseases may be a particularly fruitful approach. The McKinney and Watt labs have joined forces to investigate animal models of devastating neurodegenerative diseases that show similar patterns of cell death in the brain. Our preliminary data has identified a candidate mechanism for cell vulnerable. We now want to build on this strong foundation to understand the shared mechanisms of neurodegeneration in vulnerable cells. Since many neurodegenerative diseases are rare, the development of novel treatments that can be useful for multiple neurodegenerative diseases is a promising therapeutic strategy.