As we age, proteins often accumulate within cells. Whilst this process seems to occur naturally with the ageing process, abnormal clumps or ‘aggregates’ of proteins are a feature of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. One particular protein known to accumulate in the brains of people with motor neurone disease is TDP-43. Recent studies have shown TDP-43 also occurs in Alzheimer’s disease and its presence may lead to a rapid decline in clinical symptoms.
Our group would also like to understand whether TDP-43 occurs in other causes of dementia, such as dementia with Lewy bodies and those with a mixture of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. If so, we would like to find out how TDP-43 is related to the progress of the disease.
By understanding how TDP-43 affects the brain, we may aid diagnosis and potentially find new therapies for people with neurodegenerative diseases.
This project is led by Dr Kirsty McAleese, working alongside Dr Lauren Walker and Daniel Erskine, and is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre for Ageing and Age-related diseases, based at Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals, National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust and Newcastle University, the Alzheimer's society, the NIHR Biomedical Research Unit and Yvonne Emily Mairy bequest.