Grants

TRIM11 as a therapeutic agent for sporadic FTD

This project develops a gene therapy approach to treat frontotemporal dementia (FTD) by using engineered viruses to deliver TRIM11, a protein that can clear toxic tau accumulations from brain cells. The key innovation is creating a system where TRIM11 production activates when toxic tau is present and switches off when the cell returns to normal, potentially making gene therapy safer and more precise for treating neurodegenerative diseases.

The role of ANXA11 in FTLD-TDP

This research investigates the role of the protein annexin 11 (ANXA11), which appears to clump together with the well-known disease protein TDP-43 in brain cells. The study aims to determine how frequently aberrant ANXA11 occurs in FTD patients and whether it correlates with symptoms, as well as to understand how ANXA11 and TDP-43 work together to damage the brain.

Developing a Misfolded TDP-43 Molecular Degrader

This project develops novel therapeutic compounds that specifically target and degrade aggregated TDP-43 protein in frontotemporal dementia. The approach aims to clear toxic TDP-43 aggregates from the cell cytoplasm and restore normal TDP-43 function in the nucleus, potentially providing a targeted treatment for the 50% of FTD cases driven by TDP-43 pathology.

For exceptional contributions in the field of metabolic psychiatry and advancement of Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy for mental disorders

Development of an Intervention for Misophonia