Ehud Cohen, PhDBACK

Lecturer, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Roles of Peptidylprolyl Cis/Trans Isomerases in the Regulation of Aging and Countering Alzheimer's Disease

Most neurodegeneration that has a familial mutation-link occurs in a person in their 40s, while most nonhereditary cases occur in people beginning in their 60s or later. Why neurodegenerative disorders emerge late in life and why distinct disorders share common temporal patterns are unsolved enigmas. Recent studies show that an aging process enables the onset of these maladies by actively suppressing mechanisms that protect the young organism from disease. Chaperones - the proteins that ensure the correct folding of other proteins and prevent them from aggregation - play key roles in this process. Since human neurodegeneration often stems from uncontrolled protein aggregation, the activity of folding chaperones is thought to be critical for disease prevention early in life. One group of folding chaperones that might be involved in protecting the young organism is called cyclophilins. Dr. Cohen's research will focus on the possible roles of cyclophilins in preventing Alzheimer's disease (AD) from emerging early in life and will test how this activity is affected by aging. His research could answer the question of whether the maintenance of cyclophilin activity through late life could protect against developing AD and will help unearth the mechanisms underlying the onset of some types of familial AD.