Dr Mark Greenough
NHMRC
Australia
The role of copper in Ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation in Alzheimer's disease
NHMRC
399,335
01/01/16
4.0
Alzheimer's disease & other dementias
alzheimer disease | amyloid precursor protein | protein degradation | ubiquitination | copper deficiency
Ubiquitins are small proteins that tag other proteins in a process known as Ubiquitination. Often this is to target them for degradation once they are no longer needed i.e. to take out the rubbish. This process is disrupted in Alzheimers disease (AD), which may contribute to the disease. This project aims to find out if copper, an essential metal for life, is required for this process. Drugs that are designed to deliver copper to brain cells have been effective in small AD clinical trials.