Angelo Lepore, assistant professor in the department of neuroscience in Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, was awarded an MDA research grant totaling $300,000 over three years to examine a new mechanism by which non-nerve cells called astrocytes contribute to motor neuron death in ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Despite being primarily a motor neuron disorder, studies in ALS animal models and with patient tissues suggest that cellular abnormalities are not limited to motor neurons. In particular, astrocytes, which are non-neuronal cells with important functions in the central nervous system, play a key role in ALS progression. However, the mechanisms involved in astrocyte contribution to ALS pathogenesis remain largely not understood, thus hampering development of effective therapies for targeting this cell population and for treating this disease. An improved understanding of how astrocytes contribute to motor neuron death may lead to new therapeutic targets.
Funding for this MDA research grant began Aug. 1, 2015
Grantee: ALS - Angelo Lepore, Ph.D.
Grant type: Research Grant
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