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Lawrwence W. Elmer, M.D., Ph.D.
Laboratory Research Program
Our laboratory uses biochemical and molecular biology techniques to evaluate the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's Disease and Huntington's disease. A growing body of evidence suggests that the non-Ab component of Alzheimer's disease amyloid precursor protein (NACP) or alpha-synuclein contributes to the neurodegenerative processes in Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). We have recently developed an antibody directed against alpha-synuclein, the major component of intracellular Lewy bodies, which we have begun to characterize. This antibody will be used to examine the pathological changes in rat models of Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases with associated mitochondrial dysfunction.
