Probiodrug Further Expands Scientific Advisory Board by Appointing Prof Dr Dr hc Christian Haass

09-Jul-2010 - Germany

Probiodrug AG announced the appointment of Prof Dr Dr hc Christian Haass to the Company's Scientific Advisory Board. In his work, Prof Haass focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. In Alzheimer's disease, he has elucidated the biochemistry and molecular biology of secretases. These enzymes are involved in the generation of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides, which play a crucial role in the disease.

During his career, Prof Haass has, among others, demonstrated that amyloid beta peptides are constantly produced throughout the entire life of a human being and that accumulation of the protein in the brain is a normal aging process. Since then, he and his group have been focusing on the mechanisms of amyloid beta production. Among others, they demonstrated that the amyloid beta peptide is a cleavage product of the so-called amyloid precursor protein (APP), a protein with an unknown function, which is present in neuronal cell membranes. Haass' group also discovered that APP is cleaved by a hitherto unknown class of enzymes, the secretases, which consists of several proteins. Haass also characterized numerous mutations of these proteins and studied ways to modulate the activity of secretases. In addition, he introduced the Zebrafish as a model organism into the Alzheimer field.

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