This week we profile a recent publication in GeroScience from Dr. Rebecca Kow the laboratory of Dr. Brian Kraemer at UW and the Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center.
Can you provide a brief overview of your lab’s current research focus?
The Kraemer lab works to understand the molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative disease associated with aging. Diseases of emphasis include:
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
- Corticobasal Degeneration
- Other Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementia
What is the significance of the findings in this publication?
The main finding of the study is that we have found an additional family of RNA binding proteins/processing factors in the alyref homologs of C. elegans that modify tau-mediated neurodegeneration. Alyref also modifies TDP-43 proteinopathy in this system. These findings add to the increasing evidence in the field that RNA binding proteins are important modulators of both tau and TDP-43 neurodegenerative diseases. This suggests that defects in RNA processing may be a common pathway for the start and/or the progression of these diseases. Determining the mechanisms in which RNA-interacting proteins modulate tau and TDP-43 may substantially increase our understanding of how tau and TDP-43 can cause neurodegeneration.
What are the next steps for this research?
Our next steps will be to investigate how RNA changes influence tauopathy in model systems and disease.
