Protein misfolding Disease Mechanisms, EARLY Diagnosis, and Drug discovery
1) Tau Aggregation-Based Biomarker Discovery for Alzheimer's and Related Tauopathies: We are interested in translating basic tau biology and protein aggregation knowledge into clinical applications of new biomarker discoveries. These are in collaboration with Prof. Wenquan Zou's lab at Case Western Reserve University and Profs. Jerry Wang and Andy Liu at Duke University Medical Center - we are developing misfolded tau as new biomarkers for AD and related tauopathies by ultrasensitive detection (Funded by NIH/NIA, Alzheimer's Association/Michael J. Fox Foundation, North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Duke Clinical & Translational Science Institute, and Duke/UNC Alzheimer's Disease Research Center).
2) Diabetes-Induced Neurodegeneration: Amylin amyloid deposition in the pancreas is hallmark of type 2 diabetes. We are currently investigating how amylin links diabetes to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and serves a novel contributor to neurodegeneration (Funded by NIH/NIA, Commonwealth Health Research Board of the State of Virginia, Virginia Center on Aging, and Diabetes Action Research and Education Foundation)
3) Protein Aggregation Inhibitor Drug Discovery: We perform small molecule library screening to identify novel inhibitors, either natural products or synthetic. Comparative studies are being performed to compare and contrast amylin, Abeta, tau, and alpha-synuclein inhibitors to elucidate "converging" (compounds inhibit all amyloids) and "diverging" (protein-specific inhibitors) mechanisms. We are develop new inhibitor discovery approaches (Funded by BRITE Institute).
4) Anti-Diabetic, Obesity Prevention Agent Discovery, and Role of Exercise in Obesity and Neurodegeneration Prevention: As a peptide hormone secreted from muscle cells upon endurance exercise, irisin has been shown to have novel metabolic and neuroprotective effects on the human system, including the promotion of fat "browning" and thermogenesis. We are currently investigating its physicochemical properties, how it functions, and additional novel metabolic and neuroprotective effects of this hormone. We are also using library screening approach to identify new anti-diabetic, anti-neurodegeneration small molecules or agents that promote fat "browning" and thermogenesis (Funded by Diabetes Action Research & Education Foundation).
2) Diabetes-Induced Neurodegeneration: Amylin amyloid deposition in the pancreas is hallmark of type 2 diabetes. We are currently investigating how amylin links diabetes to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and serves a novel contributor to neurodegeneration (Funded by NIH/NIA, Commonwealth Health Research Board of the State of Virginia, Virginia Center on Aging, and Diabetes Action Research and Education Foundation)
3) Protein Aggregation Inhibitor Drug Discovery: We perform small molecule library screening to identify novel inhibitors, either natural products or synthetic. Comparative studies are being performed to compare and contrast amylin, Abeta, tau, and alpha-synuclein inhibitors to elucidate "converging" (compounds inhibit all amyloids) and "diverging" (protein-specific inhibitors) mechanisms. We are develop new inhibitor discovery approaches (Funded by BRITE Institute).
4) Anti-Diabetic, Obesity Prevention Agent Discovery, and Role of Exercise in Obesity and Neurodegeneration Prevention: As a peptide hormone secreted from muscle cells upon endurance exercise, irisin has been shown to have novel metabolic and neuroprotective effects on the human system, including the promotion of fat "browning" and thermogenesis. We are currently investigating its physicochemical properties, how it functions, and additional novel metabolic and neuroprotective effects of this hormone. We are also using library screening approach to identify new anti-diabetic, anti-neurodegeneration small molecules or agents that promote fat "browning" and thermogenesis (Funded by Diabetes Action Research & Education Foundation).