The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a $3 million grant to a lab at Colorado State University (CSU) to study a unique variant of Parkinson's disease that leads to dementia. This funding, provided to the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, aims to explore how this variant spreads throughout the nervous system, with the ultimate goal of developing therapeutic treatments to halt the disease's progression.
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The research will be led by associate professor Amanda Woerman, who heads a lab in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology at CSU. The NIH grant, announced this month, will support the research over the next five years. Woerman's lab recently identified this particular variant while analyzing a tissue sample from a patient with Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD), making them the first in the United States to discover this specific variant.
Woerman stated, "We’re getting closer to understanding what drives these types of diseases. If we can learn how this specific variant causes Parkinson’s with dementia, it will help us better understand what we need to do to successfully intervene and stop the disease."
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative condition that affects about 2% of adults over 65, with approximately three-quarters of those living with the disease for more than a decade developing dementia. While some treatments can alleviate symptoms, no current therapies can prevent the progression of Parkinson's.
Woerman emphasized that this research will provide critical insights into potential strategies for combating Parkinson's, ultimately aiming for a cure for affected individuals. The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at CSU is dedicated to improving health across species and disciplines, offering a range of programs including a renowned Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree.