Investigating how variations in the FUS protein affect how it interacts with other proteins involved in the synaptic transmission.
Principal Investigator: Dr Caroline Vance
Lead Institution: King's College London
MND Association Funding: £294,683*
Funding dates: February 2024 - January 2027
*Supported by the Heaton Ellis Trust
About the project
The connections between neurons in the brain are crucial to its functioning and the loss and disruption of these has been shown to be an early event in MND. This project aims to follow up on a recent discovery that the FUS protein, linked to a specific genetic form of MND, interacts with other proteins involved in maintaining these connections. It will use a cell model of MND, where neurons carry mistakes in their DNA that directly alter FUS, to measure how protein interactions change when those mistakes are present. The study will also look at post-mortem tissue from people who had MND to see if the interaction changes seen in the cell models are also seen in the brain. The project may highlight which protein interactions are crucial for maintaining healthy connections between neurons.
What could this mean for MND research?
This project could lead to the identification of proteins that could be new targets for developing possible treatments for MND. If the interactions that are crucial to maintaining healthy connections can be discovered, therapies could be developed which may help to repair and restore changes in these interactions so that connections between neurons can be improved.
Project code: 2348-791
