| title: | The role of zinc metabolism in Alzheimer's disease. Elaboration of a new strategy for prevention and therapy of Alzheimer's disease. |
|---|---|
| reg no: | ETF5635 |
| project type: | Estonian Science Foundation research grant |
| subject: |
1.6-1.9. Chemistry and Molecular Biology 2. Engineering 3. Medical Sciences |
| status: | accepted |
| institution: | TTU Faculty of Science |
| head of project: | Peep Palumaa |
| duration: | 01.01.2003 - 31.12.2006 |
| description: | Zinc plays important roles in development and functioning of the nervous system and its homeostasis is disturbed in many diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. The main efforts of the present project are directed towards understanding the fundamental principles of zinc metabolism in the most critical regions of the brain and finding out the ways of its regulation. The final aim of the present project is the elaboration of a new strategy and tools for prevention and therapy of Alzheimer's disease through normalization of zinc metabolism in the brain. Objective 1. Expression, isolation and structural studies of key proteins involved in zinc metabolism in the brain. Objective 2. Mechanism of zinc membrane transport by ZnT-3 Objective 3. Influence of environmental factors (oxidative stress, reducing potential) on zinc metabolism in the brain. Objective 4. The role of zinc in aggregation of amyloidogenic peptides and deaggregation of amyloid aggregates by metal chelators. Objective 5. Elaboration of therapeutic approach for Alzheimer's disease. In summary the proposed project can substantially contribute to our understanding of zinc metabolism in critical regions of the brain in normal and pathological conditions and may open novel ways for its regulation. The final aim of the present project is the elaboration of a new strategy and tools for prevention and therapy of Alzheimer's disease through normalization of zinc metabolism in the brain. |
| project group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no | name | institution | position | |
| 1. | Liina Kangur | TTU | Ph.D. student | |
| 2. | Jekaterina Kazantseva | TTU | Ph.D. student | |
| 3. | Peep Palumaa | TTU Faculty of Science | professor | |
| 4. | Lesja Pokras | TTU | MSc student | |