Q: Could you please describe your project?

A: In a sentence, we are trying to find substances that are capable of inhibiting the first step in the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease and Type II Diabetes.

Over the past few years evidence has been mounting to suggest that both of these diseases have a similar biochemical origin.  In both cases, a small protein (Aβ42 in Alzheimer’s and IAPP in Type II Diabetes) aggregates together and forms insoluble plaques.  These plaques, which are toxic to cells, are very hard to remove once they form.  As more of the protein aggregates together, more cells are killed.  Ultimately, the loss of cells in the brain leads to Alzheimer’s disease and the loss of cells in the pancreas leads to type II diabetes.  Our hope is to find substances that can prevent the aggregation of these proteins and potentially prevent (or at least slow) the onset of there diseases.

Q: What caused you to decide to work on this? Is there an “origin” story?

A: It was what the students who desired the study.  My background is in protein biochemistry.  When I came to LMU I had several research topics in mind.  Over the past few years, students have gravitated toward these projects.  It makes sense in hindsight.  Many of our students are interested in pursuing careers in health and medicine.  Diseases like Alzheimer’s and diabetes have a big impact on the health of our society.  It makes the work we are doing very relevant to what the students are planning on studying after they graduate from LMU.

Q: What will be the result of your work? How would you explain the effects to an educated layman?

A: In the best case scenario, we hope to find a substance that can prevent Alzheimer’s disease or type II diabetes.  We have several substances that are very good in our test-tube models of these diseases, however, it will be some time before we know if these substances are active at an organismal level.

The more likely impact of this work involves the students working on these projects.  These students, who are at the very beginning of their research careers, are learning that they can have a significant impact on real world issues.  They are already contributing to the global understanding of these diseases.  Perhaps they will be the ones to make the big discovery that ultimately cures these diseases.  If not while students at LMU, perhaps later in their careers.

Q: How was the submission process? What was the most difficult part? What was the easiest part?

A: It is a long process.  Before submitting a proposal, it is important to have a great deal of supporting evidence to show that your idea can work.  For three years, many students worked on these projects to collect data and validate the proposal idea.  Their hard work is what ultimately made this grant possible.  Once we had the data, it took two attempts (and nearly 18 months) to get the proposal funded.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

A: The project has truly grown since we conducted the first experiments.  At first, a single student worked on this as a small biochemistry project -- to be honest, we really were not sure if it would work -- .  Today this project has become a multidisciplinary project with many students contributing.  Professor Tina Choe (also a co-PI on the grant) in the chemistry and biochemistry department at LMU and her students are synthesizing many compounds to test.  We are working in collaboration with Professor Luiza Nogaj from the biology department of Mount Saint Mary’s college to test some of our compounds on human tissue cultures.  We are also working with Professor Cathy McElwain from the biology department of LMU to test compounds on fruit flies with the Alzheimer’s characteristics.  It is a great opportunity for students to connect organic chemistry, biochemistry, cell biology and organismal biology into one coherent research project.  With this grant funded, we are very excited to see where the projects will lead.