Cure Alzheimer's Fund Cure Alzheimer's Fund

Giuseppina Tesco, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine

Dr. Tesco’s group has shown how brain cell death caused by strokes or head injuries can lead to the production of amyloid-beta through the dysregulation of BACE levels in the brain. She identified a novel mechanism of regulation of BACE levels and activity by the trafficking molecule GGA3 (golgi-localized gamma-ear-containing ARF binding protein 3). More recently, Dr. Tesco’s laboratory has demonstrated the role of ubiquitin in the regulation of BACE1 degradation via the GGA pathway. This pathway may be a way to regulate beta-secretase activity therapeutically.

Related Research:

Funded Research

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

Project Description Researchers Funding
In Vivo Characterization of a Loss-of-Function GGA3 Rare Variant Associated with Alzheimer’s Disease 2020, 2022

$345,000
Functional Characterization of GGA3 Mutations Associated with Alzheimer’s Disease 2015, 2018

$300,000
Understand the Role of ADAM10 in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease After Head Trauma 2011

$100,000
TBI and Stroke Relationship to Alzheimer’s Disease 2008

$50,000

Selected Publications

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

David Cantu, Kendall Walker, Lauren Andresen, Amaro Taylor-Weiner, David Hampton, Giuseppina Tesco and Chris G. Dulla Traumatic Brain Injury Increases Cortical Glutamate Network Activity by Compromising GABAergic Control, Cereb. Cortex, March 7, 2014, Read More

Walker KR, Tesco G Molecular mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction following traumatic brain injury, Front Aging Neurosci, 5(29), July 9, 2013, Read More

Kendall R. Walker, Eugene L. Kang, Michael J. Whalen, Yong Shen, and Giuseppina Tesco Depletion of GGA1 and GGA3 Mediates Postinjury Elevation of BACE1, The Journal of Neuroscience, 32 (30), July 25, 2012, 10423–10437, Read More

Mannix RC, Zhang J, Park J, Zhang X, Bilal K, Walker K, Tanzi RE, Tesco G, Whalen MJ Age-dependent effect of apolipoprotein E4 on functional outcome after controlled cortical impact in mice, Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism, 31, January 2011, 351–61, Read More

Gianni D, Li A, Tesco G, McKay KM, Moore J, Raygor K, Rota M, Gwathmey JK, Dec GW, Aretz T, Leri A, Semigran MJ, Anversa P, Macgillivray TE, Tanzi RE, delMonte F. Protein Aggregates and Novel Presenilin Gene Variants in Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 121(10), Mar 16, 2010, 1216-26, Read More

Kim M, Suh J, Romano D, Truong MH, Mullin K, Hooli B, Norton D, Tesco G, Elliot K, Wagner SL, Moir RD, Becker KD, Tanzi RE. Potential late-onset Alzheimer’s disease-associated mutations in the ADAM10 gene attenuate alpha-secretase activity., Human Molecular Genetics, Vol 18, Oct 15, 2009, Read More

Tesco G, Koh YH, Kang E, Cameron A, Das S, Sena-Esteves M, Hiltunen, Yang S-H, Zhong Z, Shen Y, Simpkins J, Tanzi RE. Depletion of GGA3 stabilizes BACE and enhances β-secretase activity, Neuron, 54(5), 06/07/2007, 721-37, Read More

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