The Dutch Brain Foundation has awarded Professor of Proteostatic Stress and Neurodegeneration Wiep Scheper of the Molecular Neurodegeneration lab at the Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR). Scheper received 500,000 euros to follow up on the research on Granulovacuolar Degeneration Bodies (GVBs). GVBs are found in a subset of neurons with early tau pathology in the brain of persons with Alzheimer’s disease and tau-related frontotemporal dementias.
The molecular neurodegeneration lab of Schepers will follow-up on their previous work that established that GVB+ neurons are resilient to the tau-induced protein synthesis collapse and neurodegeneration, for which they identified key mechanistic components. Importantly, GVB+ neurons also retain the capacity to acutely induce the synthesis of plasticity factors in response to neuronal activity, showing the relevance of GVB-related resilience for neuronal function.
“With this research, we are working to find a way to stimulate the brain cells’ natural resilience. We hope this will allow us to stop or slow the disease process, enabling people with dementia to maintain a good quality of life for longer.”
Supported by this grant the team at the CNCR aims to exploit the intrinsic resilience pathways that are activated in GVB+ neurons towards a therapy for tauopathies.