Hyperphosphorylated tau aggregation kit to identify tauopathy risk factor

Information

  • Research Project
  • 10265535
  • ApplicationId
    10265535
  • Core Project Number
    R44AG057274
  • Full Project Number
    5R44AG057274-03
  • Serial Number
    057274
  • FOA Number
    PAS-19-316
  • Sub Project Id
  • Project Start Date
    9/30/2017 - 6 years ago
  • Project End Date
    5/31/2022 - 2 years ago
  • Program Officer Name
    YANG, AUSTIN JYAN-YU
  • Budget Start Date
    6/1/2021 - 3 years ago
  • Budget End Date
    5/31/2022 - 2 years ago
  • Fiscal Year
    2021
  • Support Year
    03
  • Suffix
  • Award Notice Date
    5/17/2021 - 3 years ago

Hyperphosphorylated tau aggregation kit to identify tauopathy risk factor

PROJECT SUMMARY Tauopathies are a group of neurodegenerative disorders sharing the common pathology of the tau protein in the central nervous system. The most prominent tauopathy is Alzheimer?s disease (AD) that affects nearly 6 million Americans and more than 30 million people worldwide. Additional tauopathies include frontotemporal lobar degeneration with tau, Pick?s disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Tauopathy patients suffer from progressive decline of cognitive and other neurological functions. Clinical manifestations correlate with the spatiotemporal distribution of neuronal and glial inclusions of abnormally phosphorylated tau (p-tau). Animal and cell studies demonstrated that soluble, oligomeric p-tau are toxic to cells, and can transmit between cells by nucleating the pathological tau aggregation in a prion-like fashion. Accordingly, molecules that inhibit or enhance the aggregation and cytotoxicity of p-tau are potential therapeutics and risk factors, respectively. However, tau-centric drug discovery has not come to fruition due primarily to the lack of a reliable and simple system for the synthesis of pathologically relevant p-tau. During the course of a Phase I STTR grant (1R41AG057274), we used the PIMAX system to synthesize four isoforms of p-tau bearing a core phosphorylation pattern highly relevant to the disease. We developed kinetics assays for p-tau aggregation, and cell-based assays for the cytotoxicity of p-tau. Importantly, we conducted a chemical library screen that identified both p-tau aggregation inhibitors and enhancers that had been linked previously to dementia and Alzheimer's disease. These achievements met and exceeded the milestones outlined in the original Phase I project. The goal of the current Phase II SBIR project is to develop assay kits to support the identification of therapeutics and risk factor of tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease. In addition, using the cytotoxic p-tau synthesized in our facilities, we will raise antibodies recognizing the pathogenic epitope of p-tau. If successful, this will lead to the development of early diagnostic reagents and even novel tauopathy antibody therapies. By integrating complementary and synergic expertise of teams from industry and academia, this SBIR project will have solid impact on drug development, prevention, and diagnosis of Alzheimer?s disease and other tauopathies.

IC Name
NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING
  • Activity
    R44
  • Administering IC
    AG
  • Application Type
    5
  • Direct Cost Amount
  • Indirect Cost Amount
  • Total Cost
    734479
  • Sub Project Total Cost
  • ARRA Funded
    False
  • CFDA Code
    866
  • Ed Inst. Type
  • Funding ICs
    NIA:734479\
  • Funding Mechanism
    SBIR-STTR RPGs
  • Study Section
    ZRG1
  • Study Section Name
    Special Emphasis Panel
  • Organization Name
    CAYMAN CHEMICAL COMPANY, INC.
  • Organization Department
  • Organization DUNS
    030776314
  • Organization City
    ANN ARBOR
  • Organization State
    MI
  • Organization Country
    UNITED STATES
  • Organization Zip Code
    481082419
  • Organization District
    UNITED STATES