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Mechanisms of neurodegeneration: the retrotransposon storm
The major focus of the Dubnau lab research is to investigate a novel mechanism that we have proposed to underlie amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). We have accumulated substantial evidence to support the idea that some age related brain disorders such as ALS and FTLD and even AD involve activation of retrotransposons, which are viral like genetic entities that make up approximately 40% of the human genome. Our work on ALS/FTLD relies on a multidisciplinary approach that includes in vivo genetic experiments in Drosophila and rodent models, analysis of post mortem human tissue, a clinical biomarker study in cerebrospinal fluid, and cell culture assays.
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