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:

Multidisciplinary Phenotyping of a Novel Humanized LOAD Mouse Model Giuseppina Tesco 2023-10-25 In Vivo Characterization of a Loss-of-Function GGA3 Rare Variant Associated with Alzheimer’s Disease Giuseppina Tesco 2020-03-24 Functional Characterization of GGA3 Mutations Associated with Alzheimer’s Disease Giuseppina Tesco 2016-01-11 Understand the Role of ADAM10 in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease After Head Trauma Giuseppina Tesco 2012-03-20 TBI and Stroke Relationship to Alzheimer’s Disease Giuseppina Tesco 2011-02-12

Funded Research

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

Project Description Researchers Funding
Multidisciplinary Phenotyping of a Novel Humanized LOAD Mouse Model 2023

$201,250
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, 2017, 2018

$450,000
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.

Cantu, D., Walker, K., Andresen, L., Taylor-Weiner, A., Hampton, D., Tesco, G., & Dulla, C. G. Traumatic brain injury increases cortical glutamate network activity by compromising GABAergic Control, Cerebral Cortex, March 7, 2014, Read More

Walker, K. R., & Tesco, G. Molecular Mechanism of cognitive dysfunction following traumatic brain injury, Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, July 9, 2013, Read More

Mannix, R. C., Zhang, J., Park, J., Zhang, X., Bilal, K., Walker, K., Tanzi, R. E., Tesco, G., & Whalen, M. J. Age-dependent effect of apolipoprotein E4 on functional outcome after controlled cortical impact in mice, Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism, June 30, 2010, Read More

Walker, K. R., Kang, E. L., Whalen, M. J., Shen, Y., & Tesco, G. Depletion of GGA1 and GGA3 mediates postinjury elevation of BACE1, Journal of Neuroscience, July 25, 2012, Read More

Tesco, G., & Lomoio, S. Pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases: An interplay among axonal transport failure, oxidative stress, and inflammation?, Seminars in Immunology, June 30, 2022, Read More

Lomoio, S., Willen, R., Kim, W., Ho, K. Z., Robinson, E. K., Prokopenko, D., Kennedy, M. E., Tanzi, R. E., & Tesco, G. Gga3 deletion and a GGA3 rare variant associated with late onset Alzheimer’s disease trigger BACE1 accumulation in axonal swellings, Science Translational Medicine, November 18, 2020, Read More

Gianni, D., Li, A., Tesco, G., McKay, K. M., Moore, J., Raygor, K., Rota, M., Gwathmey, J. K., Dec, G. W., Aretz, T., Leri, A., Semigran, M. J., Anversa, P., Macgillivray, T. E., Tanzi, R. E., & del Monte, F. Protein aggregates and novel presenilin gene variants in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, Circulation, March 1, 2010, Read More

Kim, M., Suh, J., Romano, D., Truong, M. H., Mullin, K., Hooli, B., Norton, D., Tesco, G., Elliott, K., Wagner, S. L., Moir, R. D., Becker, K. D., & Tanzi, R. E. Potential late-onset Alzheimer’s disease-associated mutations in the ADAM10 gene attenuate alpha-secretase activity, Human Molecular Genetics, October 15, 2009, Read More

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