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	2002 Fellow			Giancarlo V. De Ferrari, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Dept. de Bioquímica y Biologia Molecular Universidad de Concepción Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas. Casilla 160-C, 8211 Concepción, Chile Tel: 56-41-203-794 Fax: 56-41-239-687 Email: gdeferrari@udec.cl

Country: CHILE

Field: Neurosciences

Research Interest: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder paralleled by selective neuronal death, which is probably caused by the deposition and neurotoxicity of the amyloid ß-peptide (Aß). We and others observed that Aß neurotoxicity induced loss of function of Wnt signaling components and that activation of this signaling cascade protected post-mitotic neurons from Aß neurotoxicity. Therefore, I am interested in understanding the molecular mechanism by which Wnt signaling is lost in cells undergoing Aß -dependent degeneration. My proposal involves integrating basic biological processes of cells exposed to cytotoxic insults, and may offer alternative therapeutic approaches to prevent or treat neurodegenerative diseases.