Enhancing understanding of Alexander’s disease

Dolores Pérez-Sala

  • PROJECT LEADER

    Dolores Pérez-Sala

  • HOST ORGANIZATION,
    COUNTRY

    Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CSIC, Spain

  • DESCRIPTION

    Alexander’s disease is a rare genetic condition that progressively destroys the white matter of the brain and neurons, leading to serious neurological alterations and eventually causing death.

    This condition is caused by mutations in the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) found in the astrocytes, a type of glial cells that are essential to the proper functioning of the nervous system.

    The project investigates how GFAP mutations in astrocytes come to cause significant damage both in these cells as well as in neurons. This knowledge will also help understand the mechanisms of other more frequent neurodegenerative diseases.

  • PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

    • Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Netherlands

    • University of Copenhagen, Denmark

    • University of Gothenburg, Sweden

    • Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida, Spain

  • PROJECT TITLE

    From GFAP mutations in astrocytes to neurodegeneration: exploring a lipid-protein oxidation pathway

  • BUDGET

    €1,000,000