Nixon and his CDR Team Received New R01 Research Grant
New York – Dr. Ralph Nixon, Director of Center for Dementia Research, and his team receive a new R01 research grant from NIH. The grant, titled “Endosome Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease: Mechanism and Role in Pathogenesis,” will investigate endosome dysfunction which is strongly implicated in Alzheimer’s disease and recent genetic studies have identified endosome-related genes that are associated with increased risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The goal of the studies is to establish the multiple mechanisms and factors regulating endosome function in brain, neurons, and at synapses in health and in the context of Alzheimer’s disease. The research team’s focus is also to define the influence of selected Alzheimer’s disease risk genes on endosome structure, function, and their contribution to endosome abnormalities in Alzheimer’s disease. The ultimate objectives are identifying and validating innovative therapeutics that target this very early neuronal pathology to prevent/delay Alzheimer’s disease development.