Abstract:
Research in the Bloom lab has been dedicated for many years to defining seminal molecular and cellular mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. A dominant theme of this effort has been toxic signaling between soluble forms of amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau, the respective building blocks of the poorly soluble amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles that are defining histopathological features of AD brain. Dr. Bloom's seminar will focus on two aspects of this Aβ-tau connection: ectopic neuronal cell cycle re-entry, an apparent prelude to most neuron death in AD, and inhibition of nutrient-induced mitochondrial activity. The seminar will conclude with a summary of new pre-clinical and clinical trial data indicating that the NMDA receptor antagonist, memantine, has disease-modifying properties for AD, and thus has potential as an AD prophylactic.
Biosketch:
George Bloom is Professor of Biology, Cell Biology and Neuroscience at the University of Virginia and former Chair of Biology. His lab defined early pre-symptomatic mechanisms in Alzheimer’s disease driven by amyloid-β and tau interactions. Trained at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of North Carolina, he previously served at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Alzheimer’s Association.
