MUADPPG: About Our Research
Drs. W. Gibson Wood, Grace Sun, and Gary Weisman
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent age-related neurological disease affecting more than 4 million people in the United States alone and 15 million worldwide. AD affects 10 percent of the population over 65 and 40 percent over 80 years of age. The lengthy duration of the disease process (averaging 7-10 years) has created a heavy societal economic burden of over $100 billion annually in the United States alone. With the disproportionate increase in the aging population, there is an urgent need for research to understand the pathophysiology of the disease and to develop novel approaches to treat the progression of the disease. Although there are many hypotheses relating to the cause of AD, including the contribution of genetic and environmental factors, the initiating factors remain poorly understood. Important early events in AD include increased oxidative stress in the brain and the production of neurotoxic amyloid beta-protein (Aß), which forms plaques in the brain. When aggregated into the oligomeric form, Aß protein has been shown to perturb neurotransmitter release and receptor signaling pathways in neurons and to cause neuroinflammatory responses mediated by glial cells in the brain.
The AD research program at the University of Missouri is comprised of the laboratories of Drs. Grace Sun and Gary Weisman, and together with Dr. Gibson Wood from University of Minnesota, this formed the team dedicated to understanding how and why Aß confers neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory effects leading to impaired synaptic function associated with memory loss. Our studies are utilizing cell and animal models and up-to-date molecular and biochemical techniques to explore enzymes and signaling pathways, e.g., nucleotide receptors, NADPH oxidase and phospholipases, that promote neurodegeneration and chronic neuroinflammation. Our ultimate goal is to develop novel approaches that limit the chronic effects of oxidative stress, neurotoxic Aß production, and neuroinflammatory responses that underlie disease progression. We believe that our research program will lead to the development of novel therapies and drug targets for the prevention and treatment of AD.