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Alexandra C. Newton, Ph.D.

Professor of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego

Dr. Newton studies the molecular mechanisms underlying how cells process information in health and in disease.   Cellular homeostasis depends on precise control of the balance between “go” and “stop” signals controlled by protein kinases and protein phosphatases, enzymes with opposing functions.  Deregulation of this balance leads to pathophysiological states, driving either pro-survival diseases such as cancer or degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.  The Newton lab focuses, in particular, on the structure, function, and regulation of protein kinase C and how aberrant function contributes to the pathophysiologies of cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.  Understanding the molecular basis for how protein kinase C is deregulated in these diseases has potential for novel therapeutic strategies.  Dr. Alexandra Newton received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Stanford University and her postdoctoral training in Daniel E. Koshland’s laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley.

Follow Dr. Newton @NewtonLab

Related Research:

Functional Basis for Novel Protein Kinase C-eta K56R Mutation in Alzheimer’s Disease Alexandra C. Newton 2022-02-15 Alzheimer Disease-Associated Mutations in Protein Kinase C Alexandra C. Newton 2016-04-26

Funded Research

These projects were made possible from Cure Alzheimer's Fund support.

Project Description Researchers Funding
Functional Basis for Novel Protein Kinase C-eta K56R Mutation in Alzheimer’s Disease 2021, 2022

$345,000
Alzheimer Disease-Associated Mutations in Protein Kinase C 2014-2019

$1,395,000

Selected Publications

These published papers resulted from Cure Alzheimer’s Fund support.

Lordén, G., Wozniak, J. M., Doré, K., Dozier, L. E., Cates-Gatto, C., Patrick, G. N., Gonzalez, D. J., Roberts, A. J., Tanzi, R. E., & Newton, A. C. Enhanced activity of Alzheimer disease-associated variant of protein kinase Cα drives cognitive decline in a mouse model, Nature Communications, November 23, 2022, Read More

Lordén, C. & Newton A. C. Conventional protein kinase C in the brain: repurposing cancer drugs for neurodegenerative treatment?, Neuronal Signaling, October 8, 2021, Read More

Lorden, G., Wosniak, J. M., Dozier, L. E., Patrick, G. N., Gonzalez, D. J., Roberts, A. J., & Newton, A. C. Amplified Protein Kinase C Signaling in Alzheimer’s Disease, The FASEB Journal, April 18, 2020, Read More

Callender, J. A., Yang, Y., Lordén, G., Stephenson, N. L., Jones, A. C., Brognard, J., & Newton, A. C. Protein kinase Cα gain-of-function variant in Alzheimer’s disease displays enhanced catalysis by a mechanism that evades down-regulation, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, May 29, 2018, Read More

Callender, J. A., Yang, Y., Lordén, G., Stephenson, N. L., Jones, A. C., Brognard, J., & Newton, A. C. Protein Kinase C alpha (PKC alpha) Gain-of-Function Variant in Alzheimer’s Disease Displays Enhanced Catalysis by a Mechanism that Evades Down-Regulation, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, May 29, 2018, Read More

Yang Y., Callender, J., & Newton A. C. Rare Alzheimer’s Disease-Associated Protein Kinase C variant displays altered pharmacological profile in cellular environment, The FASEB Journal, April 1, 2018, Read More

Newton A. C. Protein kinase C: perfectly balanced, Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, March 7, 2018, Read More

Newton A. C. Protein Kinase C as a tumor suppressor, Seminars in Cancer Biology, February 1, 2018, Read More

Alfonso, S. I., Callender, J. A., Hooli, B., Antal, C. E., Mullin, K., Sherman, M. A., Lesné, S. E., Leitges, M., Newton, A. C., Tanzi, R. E., & Malinow, R. Gain of Function mutations in protein kinase c alpha (PKC alpha) may promote synaptic defects in Alzheimer’s disease, Science Signaling, May 10, 2016, Read More

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