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MRC DTA Studentship : Cellular sites that regulate axon degeneration

Reference	BBS/E/B/0000M701
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Michael Philip Coleman
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Babraham Institute
Department	Babraham Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	146,500
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/10/2006
End date	30/04/2010
Duration	43 months

Abstract

Axons are the long fibres that connect one nerve cell with another and carry electrical communication between them. If these fibres degenerate, nervous function ceases resulting in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, motor neuron disease and multiple sclerosis. In many nervous disorders, the degeneration of the fibres precedes death of the cell from which they arise, but in the central nervous system the fibres cannot regenerate even if the cell survives. Thus, it is essential to understand and eventually intervene in axon degeneration mechanisms. We have identified a gene that can delay axon degeneration tenfold in mice, rats and flies but there is some uncertainty over whereabouts in the cell the protein product of this gene acts. This project will extend existing findings that the protein may act within the axon itself. It will also investigate the mechanism of degeneration of axons in Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, we are asking whether a toxic protein responsible for cell death in Alzheimer's disease acts within the axon from which it originates, or whether it acts outside the axon affecting both its axon of origin and its neighbours.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Animal Sciences (AS)
Research Topics	Ageing, Neuroscience and Behaviour
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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