David Rubinsztein (MRC), Joerg Gsponer (CIHR)

The formation of protein aggregates in the brain is a feature of many late-onset neurodegenerative diseases, called proteinopathies. These include Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, tauopathies, forms of motor neuron disease and the nine polyglutamine expansion diseases exemplified by Huntington’s disease (HD). On the basis of previous studies it is assumed that certain modifiers of one proteinopathy may influence another. The aim of the project is to identify such “generic” suppressors of neurodegeneration.