Neuropathology and Experimental Therapy of Creatine Transporter (CrT) Deficiency

2015 Seed Grant
Chia-Yi Kuan, M.D., Ph.D.
Emory University

Creatine transporter deficiency is a common cause of mental retardation and autism-related disorder that has no effective therapy to date. We have generated a mouse model that recapitulates clinical symptoms of this disease, and will use a multitude of anatomical, biochemical, behavioral, and imaging methods to unravel the biological functions of creatine transporter in the brain. Positive outcomes of this project will expand our knowledge and change clinical management of this grave neurodevelopmental disorder.

Other Grants

Rebekah C. Evans, Ph.D., Georgetown University
In Vivo and Ex Vivo Dissection of Midbrain Neuron Activity During Exercise
Exercise is important for the health of the body and the mind. Exercise promotes learning and reduces symptoms of brain-related diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. However, it…
William J. Giardino, Ph.D. Stanford University
Deciphering the Neuropeptide Circuitry of Emotional Arousal in Narcolepsy
This research project aims to investigate the neural mechanisms of a specific type of brain cell called neuropeptide neurons within a region of the brain’s amygdala network called the bed…
Howard Gritton, Ph.D., University of Illinois
Attention Mechanisms Contributing to Auditory Spatial Processing.
Our world is composed of a rich mixture of sounds. We often process sounds including speech in the presence of many other competing auditory stimuli (e.g., voices in a crowded…
Nora Kory, Ph.D., Harvard University
Elucidating the Fates and Functions of Lactate in the Brain
The human brain requires significant energy to function. Despite accounting for only 2% of our body weight, the brain consumes a substantial 20% of the body’s energy, relying on a…