The project “The role of human Reelin in the mechanisms of beta-amyloid propagation” has received a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Agencia Estatal de Investigación: Plan Estatal). It is going to be developed at IRIS-CC and the principal investigator is going to be Lluís Pujadas, from the Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare of the University of Vic (FCSB).
The research team will include members of the FCSB, the Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering, and Althaia. The project has a duration of three years and is coordinated with a second project at the University of Barcelona with the shared objective of studying the neuroprotective role of the Reelin protein in Alzheimer’s disease.
Reelin is an extracellular matrix protein involved in adult neuronal plasticity that improves various pathological aspects of Alzheimer’s disease. The current project is going to study the role of human Reelin in the molecular and cellular mechanisms that occur during the disease progression, particularly in the appearance and propagation of beta-amyloid protein aggregates in the brain.
This is a basic research project that will be developed using in vitro assays, cellular models and in vivo experiments. The first objective is to identify the domains of the Reelin protein that modulate beta-amyloid aggregation and toxicity. A second objective is to study the effect of Reelin administration in in vivo models of aggregation. The project’s results will contribute to assess the possible consideration of Reelin as a therapeutic molecule in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.