Neurobiologist J. Tabitha Hees of VU Amsterdam has been awarded a Veni grant from NWO. With this funding, she will investigate how brain cells produce proteins in exactly the right place and at the right time. The insights gained from this basic research may eventually contribute to a better understanding of neurodegenerative disorders such as ALS.
Smart transport system in brain cells
Brain cells are among the most complex cells in the human body. They have long extensions and branches that must continue to function properly throughout a person’s lifetime. To keep these cells healthy, new proteins are constantly needed.
Instead of transporting proteins over long distances, neurons often send the genetic blueprint - messenger RNA (mRNA) - to the location where a protein is needed. The protein is then produced locally. How brain cells determine where and when this process takes place is still largely unknown.
Tabitha Hees is investigating whether this local protein production is controlled from specific contact points within the cell, where the cell’s transport system and protein factory converge. Using advanced microscopy, RNA sequencing, and other innovative techniques, she is mapping these processes in living neurons.
New insights into ALS
Although the research focuses on the fundamental functioning of healthy brain cells, it may also yield important insights into diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In this condition, processes related to mRNA transport and local protein synthesis are disrupted at an early stage.
By investigating what goes wrong at the cellular contact points in motor neurons cultured from stem cells, Hees aims to identify which changes contribute to the development of ALS. This knowledge can help identify new targets for future treatments.
The Veni grant will enable Hees to further expand this innovative research in the coming years. The results will not only contribute to a better understanding of how brain cells function but will also lay an important scientific foundation for future research into neurodegenerative diseases.