JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (June 3, 2022)– Three researchers in the Department of Biomedical Sciences of East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine recently received grant funding for projects that could impact the treatment of such wide-ranging ailments as Alzheimer’s disease, PTSD and a variety of inflammatory diseases
Dr. Russell Brown and his laboratory have partnered with P2D Bioscience Inc. of Cincinnati
in developing a first-in-class treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. His project is a
sub-award of $230,000 over two years from the National Institutes of Health (NIH),
National Institute on Aging.
“Our drug is an orally effective combination that targets both innate immunity and a neurotransmitter system in the brain that plays an important role in movement, reward and cognition,” says Brown, a professor of Biomedical Sciences. “Recent studies suggest that inhibitors of neurobiological messengers that are involved in neuroinflammation, coupled with enhancing availability of the neurotransmitter dopamine, are effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.”
Brown said that after laboratory tests focusing on cognition, attention and anxiety are complete, he and his colleagues will analyze several neurobiological biomarkers related to both the Alzheimer’s disease process and neuroinflammation.
“Ultimately, the goal is to advance research on this novel compound toward the possibility of treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in humans,” he said.
Dr. Justin Gass received a Veterans Affairs Merit Grant of more than $1.09 million for a four-year study of changes that take place within the brains of individuals with PTSD and alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Gass, associate professor of Biomedical Sciences, explained that the incidence of
post-traumatic stress disorder is higher in military veterans than the general population,
and that veterans with PTSD are almost twice as likely to develop issues with alcohol
abuse. He said recent evidence shows that the areas of the brain associated with PTSD
and drug addiction have many common characteristics. As a result, PTSD symptoms may
contribute to the development of alcoholism, and, he said, alcohol interferes with
the treatment of PTSD.
“Unfortunately, the treatments that are currently being used to treat individuals with PTSD and AUD are not effective,” Gass said. “Thus, there is a great need to better understand how the brain is changed in this disorder. In doing so, we can develop new treatment drugs that can help these individuals manage their symptoms and lead a normal life despite having experienced a traumatic event.”
This project is being led by Dr. Liza Wills, a post-doctoral scholar in the Gass lab. Graduate students Bailey McGuffin and Britta Schwartz are also involved in the experiments.
Dr. Valentin Yakubenko, associate professor of Biomedical Sciences, received an R15
Academic Research Enhancement Award of $439,475 from the NIH National Institute on
Aging for a three-year study that may lead to the development of new anti-inflammatory
treatments.
This study focuses on the role of a protein – α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) – which is usually expressed on neurons and converts signals from one neuron to another, Yakubenko said. This receptor, he said, is also expressed on immune cells, or macrophages, which are an important part of the human defense system that prevents the development of many inflammatory diseases. The migration of macrophages to damaged organs is a critical function of immune defense.
“The goal of our grant is to evaluate how macrophage migration is regulated by the signal from the nerve system, which is recognized by this receptor on macrophages,” Yakubenko said. “Our preliminary data demonstrate that α7nAChR is necessary for macrophage accumulation at the site of disease. We plan to verify these observations and depict the molecular mechanism of α7nAChR functions on macrophages.
“The results of our studies will provide completely new information regarding the role of α7nAChR in inflammation and can help to develop a new anti-inflammatory treatment.”
This project is being led by Kasey Keever, a doctoral student in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, as part of her dissertation research. In addition, Quillen medical student Nicole Ceausu contributed to the development of this project during a summer research program.