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ALESSANDRA D'AZZO, Ph.D.
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Research InterestsThe primary scope of this research program is to elucidate the fundamental role of the lysosomal system in normal cellular metabolism and in pathological conditions associated with lysosomal storage disorders (LSD). Using a combination of molecular, genetic, and biochemical approaches, they have identified a multiprotein complex of three lysosomal hydrolases: protective protein/cathepsin A (PPCA), -galactosidase (-Gal), and neuraminidase (Neur). In the complex, PPCA (a serine carboxypeptidase) directly associates with the two glycosidases, a configuration needed for their intracellular routing, lysosomal activity, and stability. Three genetically distinct, human neurodegenerative LSD are caused by either single or combined deficiency of these enzymes: galactosialidosis, GM1-gangliosidosis, and sialidosis. To date, there is no effective therapy for these diseases. Using both in vitro systems and laboratory animals, they investigate the cell-specific expression and regulation of these enzymes, their intracellular trafficking, mode/site of association and activation, and their interaction with the substrates they cleave. They are also developing new therapeutic strategies in animal models for the future treatment of patients with these LSD. Greater knowledge of the function of these and other lysosomal proteins in the normal lysosome, as well as a better understanding of the structural and biochemical basis of the diseases, will aid in the design of new drugs and therapies. The experimental approaches include: generation and characterization of knockout and transgenic mice; correction of affected mice by transplantation with transgenic over expressing or retrovirally transduced bone marrow; expression and regulation of normal and mutant enzymes in prokaryotic/eukaryotic cell systems; and crystal structure determination of over expressed proteins. LinksRecent Publications
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