Finding answers for neurodegenerative diseases

Currently, there are no cures for neurodegenerative diseases that lead to a decline in neurological function and symptoms such as cognitive impairment, motor dysfunction, and psychiatric issues. But a number of UTSW faculty members are studying new therapies to treat conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases, which involve the progressive damage and death of nerve cells.

• Elan Louis, M.D., Chair and Professor of Neurology, is considered one of the world’s leading experts on essential tremor (ET), which affects 2.2% of the U.S. population. He and his colleagues have found that ET significantly increases the risk for developing other degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Dr. Louis also established the Essential Tremor Centralized Brain Repository, a national brain bank, for further study.

Jaya Trivedi, M.D.

• Jaya Trivedi, M.D., Professor of Neurology, is a co-investigator in clinical trials related to ALS and other neuromuscular diseases.
• David Sanders, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in CAND and of Molecular Biology, recently received a National Institutes of Health Director’s New Innovator Award to further his research on the role of RNA/protein assemblies, also known as biomolecular condensates, in neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases.

An expanding collaborative of scientists within CAND and throughout OBI is focused on understanding the basic mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative conditions and developing new diagnostics and therapies to detect and treat them before they cause brain dysfunction.