Understanding axon degeneration in hereditary spastic paraplegia and ALS using patient-derived neurons

Who could benefit from this research

What this research studies

Researchers will use neurons created from patients’ induced pluripotent stem cells to study how spatacsin and spastizin affect autophagy, lysosome transport, and mitochondrial health. The team will look at how these processes interact to cause axon degeneration and test ideas for rescuing nerve damage. The work builds on prior findings of impaired mitochondrial dynamics and altered autophagy in patient-derived neurons. Results could point to new targets to protect nerves in people with HSP or ALS.

Why it matters

Where this research is happening

• University of Illinois at Chicago
  Chicago, United States Active

Researchers

• Principal investigator: Li, Xue-Jun — University of Illinois at Chicago
• Study coordinator: Li, Xue-Jun

Related research

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About this research

1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.