Posted on | CategoriesNeurobiology / School of Medicine | PI: Jason Shepherd, PhD

PNMA2 Forms Immunogenic Non-Enveloped Virus-Like Capsids Associated with Paraneoplastic Neurological Syndrome

For people with a rare cancer-associated condition called paraneoplastic syndrome, sudden memory loss, loss of coordination, or other neurological symptoms are often the first sign that a tumor is growing somewhere in the body. The symptoms are caused by the immune system’s response to it. It turns out that some tumors produce brain proteins... Continue reading → PNMA2 Forms Immunogenic Non-Enveloped Virus-Like Capsids Associated with Paraneoplastic Neurological Syndrome

We are particularly interested in the elucidation of the protein machinery at the synapse and the basic cell biological processes that mediate long-term storage of information. In addition, we are investigating how these process go awry in neurodevelopmental disorders such as Angelman Syndrome and in cognitive decline during aging.

The overall goal of our research program is to investigate the role of activity-dependent processes, and the requisite gene programs, involved in synaptic plasticity and how these processes go awry in neurological disorders.

Shepherd Lab