Florida Atlantic University received a $2 million philanthropic donation on March 10 from Philanthropist David Nicholson, which the university is planning to use to launch a center called the “David Lynn Nicholson Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research” to battle against neurodegenerative brain diseases.

The research center will bring together different scientists and engineers to combat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and others. Corrine Lasmézas, the center’s director and FAU neuroscience professor, discussed what the opening of the center means to the university. 

“The goal of the center is to accelerate research and the development of new therapeutic options for patients affected by neurodegenerative diseases,” Lasmézas said. “Very little was known for a long time as to the cause of these diseases. In the last 10 to 15 years, there have been tremendous advances, and there is now more understanding of what the mechanisms are for neurons losing their functions and for people to experience symptoms. Moving this stuff forward to therapeutic treatment requires a lot of effort: ‘It takes a village,’ as we say.”

As researchers at FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine and Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute dive deeper into neurodegenerative diseases, gaining insight into how these conditions develop and progress has become a key focus for them. Among those contributing to this effort are Wen Shen, a professor of biomedical sciences at FAU and a researcher involved in studying the underlying causes of neurodegenerative conditions.

“We are understanding the basic neural mechanisms, understanding the pathological mechanisms, as well as getting a better understanding of what’s causing the disease and how to treat the disease,” Shen said. 

Ning Quan, a professor at the Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute and at FAU’s Department of Biomedical Science, is also a part of the ongoing research being conducted.

“We have animal models of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, so you can express genes that trigger these animals to behave [as if they have a] human disease,” Quan said. “And then we manipulate their immune system to see if their disease gets worse or better. If they get worse, we know certain types of immune activation are bad for you, and we try to find the medicine to block it. If it gets better, we need to find a way to stimulate that system.”

“When talking about the cell mechanisms and how they interact with each other, in pathological conditions, those interactions are getting disrupted in various ways,” Shen said. “Some ways will cause cell death or alter their function, which can cause disease or neurodegeneration.”

Quan’s work specializes in neuroimmunology, which is the study of the interaction between the nervous system and the immune system. His research focuses on how responses in our immune system contribute to diseases in our brains. 

“Many people with Parkinson’s lose their sense of smell before they actually develop problems with their movement,” Quan said. “So the interesting phenomenon of why you lose your smell is probably because, through your nose, you inhale environmental irritants that cause inflammation in your nose, which triggers inflammation in the olfactory in your brain.”

These observations can lead to breakthroughs in the lab. However, combating Parkinson’s is only part of the fight. Quan has also been part of the research done to fight Alzheimer’s. Using similar methods used in research against Parkinson’s, he explained how scientists at FAU are working to trace the cause of Alzheimer’s. 

“We have the Alzheimer’s model in the mouse where if they take a mutation of genes that trigger Alzheimer’s, the animals will produce beta plaques,” Quan said. “Eventually, it causes toxicity to the nervous system and then compromises your cognitive behavior.”

Although Quan’s work is focused on the immune system, his research also has an impact on the human brain. Systems in our immune system that respond to viruses work similarly to those in the brain. By studying how these systems function, Quan believes it could lead to further development of a cure for brain diseases.

“This system, when it’s activated just enough, can clear the plaques,” Quan said. “But if it’s activated too much, it can exacerbate the toxicity. So we’re working on the possibility of finding just the right amount of inflammation.”

Shen emphasized the importance of understanding how brain cells communicate and how those interactions change during disease progression. By closely examining these cellular relationships, researchers can pinpoint the disruptions that lead to neurodegeneration, the gradual loss of structure or function of neurons.

Looking ahead, researchers at the David Lynn Nicholson Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research are aiming to use their findings to find a breakthrough. By examining the immune system’s role in brain health, researchers aim to identify potential ways to address conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Their current work may contribute to future scientific developments in the field.

Julius Demosthenes is a Staff Writer for the University Press. For more information on this or other stories, contact Demosthenes at jdemosthenes792@gmail.com or DM jay_dem0 on Instagram.