- Role
- Finalist
- Region
- Saskatoon
- Pronouns
- he/him/his
Brian Chang
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Project
Linking Proteasomal Dysfunction and Alzheimer’s Disease through Novel Biomarker Identification
Project #5203
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder with no cure, largely due to an incomplete understanding of its molecular drivers. While amyloid-beta peptides impair proteasome function, the role of proteasomal dysfunction as an upstream initiator remains underexplored. This study investigates whether proteasome impairment alone can drive AD-like gene expression changes and identifies novel biomarkers linked to this process. Using data from cultured cortical mouse neurons that were treated with lactacystin, a proteasome inhibitor, and analyzed using differential gene expression, pathway over-representation, and network analyses. 128 genes were identified, inducing dysregulated pathways, paralleling human AD brains. Pathway validation was performed by comparing the results to gene expression data from 310 Alzheimer's disease patients and 157 control prefrontal cortex samples. By highlighting proteasomal impairment as a potential early driver of AD pathology, this work opens new opportunities for earlier diagnosis, targeted therapy development, and a deeper understanding of disease initiation.
- Challenge
- Disease and Illness
- Category
- Intermediate
- Type
- Discovery