Pathophysiological Signaling in Neurodegenerative Disorders

描述（由申请人提供）：此更新申请的目标是通过将我们的生物医学研究卓越中心（COBRE）集中在“神经退行性疾病的病理生理信号”上，增强和扩展我们阐明阿尔茨海默氏病和帕金森病以及癫痫等破坏性神经系统疾病的原因和确定潜在治疗方法的能力。利用分子/遗传学、药理学、电生理、生化和系统生物学的方法，我们提出了五个项目，研究离子通道和受体、第二信使（特别是脂质信使）、亚细胞细胞器、基因转录和蛋白质翻译等信号系统在各种神经退行性疾病模型系统中的参与。我们的长期目标是发展和支持一个可扩展和可持续的神经科学研究小组，他们专注于确定导致神经退行性疾病的机制，并发现预防和治疗神经退行性疾病的新策略。这个小组将继续保持高度的互动和协作，并将继续发挥关键作用，领导联合国大学实现其文化变革，使其接近成为最高水平的卡内基研究型学术机构的目标。我们的具体目标是：(1)通过广泛的指导和资助五个研究项目和较小的试点资助，支持成功的独立研究项目，提高我们COBRE研究人员在校外资助方面的竞争力。(2)通过增加对COBRE核心设施的支持，加强联合国大学的研究基础设施。这将通过支付服务合同的费用和技术人员的薪金来实现。(3)至少聘用两名新的神经科学教员，以提高我们的竞争力。UNO将通过雇佣额外的教师来支持这个小组的进一步发展，这将增强我们在分子/遗传学和/或蛋白质组学领域的能力。(4)在更大的红河神经科学倡议/研究所的支持下，建立国内和国际公认的神经科学卓越研究中心。这一持续更新的成功竞争将确保该小组获得个人，团体和培训补助金的成功，因为我们享受联合国组织管理的支持，我们已经成功了，我们的科学是杰出的，所有指标表明我们的小组既可扩展又可持续。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this renewal application is to enhance and expand our ability to elucidate causes of and identify potential treatments for such devastating neurological disorders as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy by focusing our Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) on the "Pathophysiological Signaling in Neurodegenerative Diseases". Using molecular/genetic, pharmacological, electrophysiological, biochemical and systems biology approaches we have proposed five projects that study the involvement of such signaling systems as ion channels and receptors, second messengers especially those lipid-based, subcellular organelles, gene transcription and protein translation in various model systems for neurodegenerative diseases. Our long term goal is to develop and support a scalable and sustainable group of neuroscience researchers who are focused to determine mechanisms causing, and to discover novel strategies to prevent and treat neurodegenerative diseases. This group will continue to be highly interactive and collaborative and will continue to play a role critical to leading UNO through its culture change as it approaches its goal of becoming a highest-level Carnegie research-based academic institution. Our specific aims are: (1) Support successful independent research projects and increase the competitiveness of our COBRE investigators for extramural grants through extensive mentorship and by funding five research projects and smaller pilot grants. (2) Enhance the research infrastructure at UNO by increasing our support for our COBRE core facilities. This will be accomplished by covering the costs of service contracts and salaries for technical personnel. (3) Increase our competitiveness by hiring at least two new neuroscience faculty members. UNO will support the further development of this group by hiring additional faculty that will enhance our capabilities in the areas of molecular/genetics and/or proteomics. (4) Establish our nationally and internationally recognized Center of Neuroscience Research Excellence under the auspices of a much larger Red River Neuroscience Initiative/Institute. Successful competition for this continuing renewal will ensure the success of this group receiving individual, group and training grants because we enjoy the support of UNO administration, we have been successful, our science is outstanding and all indicators suggest that our group is both scalable and sustainable.