Protein Kinase Pathways That Regulate Neuronal Survival and Death

摘要

Loss of post-mitotic neurons from the adult brain underlies the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases and neurotoxin exposure. Neuronal cell death occurs by two mechanisms: necrosis and apoptosis. Apoptosis is a process whereby developmental cues and environmental stimuli activate a genetic program to implement a series of steps that culminate in cell death. An important aspect of apoptosis is that it can be halted and such interventions may rescue dying neurons. The overall goal of this project is to identify key protein kinases involved in regulating neuronal survival and apoptosis. The progress made in these areas has resulted in 4 published manuscripts (plus 2 submitted articles) and 9 abstracts presented at national and international scientific meetings in 2002.