Ina C. Tesseur, Ph.D.
Stanford University Medical Center
Stanford, California

2003 New Investigator Research Grant

High-density lipoproteins (HDLs), spherical particles containing proteins and lipids (fats), help transport lipids to cells. The main protein component of HDL is apolipoprotein E (apoE). The gene that provides the blueprint for this protein usually comes in three different variations, which result in three versions of the same protein that most likely function in slightly different ways.

One variant form of the protein, apoE4, is associated with a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and another form, apoE3, is associated with a reduced risk. The functional differences in these variant forms are not clear.

Previous research has shown that apoE3, when compared with apoE4, may somehow help protect neurons and encourage the growth of axons, the far-reaching arms of neurons that send messages.

This research group will assess a “minor” protein in the HDL complex that may mediate apoE function and influence the beneficial effect of apoE3 on axon growth and neuron survival. A better understanding of the roles of apoE and its partners may reveal key functional missteps that contribute to Alzheimer pathology.