2008 Brain Star Award Recipient - Monica Wetzel
Recipient
Monica Wetzel
PhD
Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto
Article
Wetzel, MK., et al. (2008) p73 regulates neurodegeneration and phospho-tau accumulation during aging and Alzheimer's disease. Neuron, Sep 11;59(5):708-21.
Significance of the paper
It is crucial to understand why and how the brain ages, or becomes vulnerable to neurodegenerative diseases, so that therapeutic interventions may be developed. My report reveals the unexpected and significant observation that p73 is a fundamental factor protecting the nervous system from neurodegeneration during aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Importantly, as much as 10% of the human population may have half the normal level of p73, and thus, may be potentially be at risk for developing neurodegenerative disorders. Moreover, the Alzheimer's Society of Canada estimates that 450,000 Canadians over age 65 have Alzheimer's or another degenerative brain disease. Therefore, these findings make significant contributions to several aspects of human health, including, the mental health of those suffering from neurodegenerative disorders.
In support of the impact of this finding, this work has received broad attention in the lay media as well as the scientific community. For example, this study was featured in The Globe and Mail, HHMI and CIHR websites, and a review specifically focused on this paper is in press at Trends in Biochemical Sciences. This report provides a new, unexpected clue as to how the nervous system ages.