Harnessing the Power of Autophagy to Treat Alzheimer’s Disease

The Puglielli lab at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health has found a way to manipulate autophagy — a process where cells clean out damaged materials — to rid the brain of toxic proteins like amyloid and tau. Researchers hope to use the power of this process to develop future treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other diseases of aging. Luigi Puglielli joins the podcast to discuss his team’s research over the past 15 years, why the scientific process can take years to turn ideas into possible treatments, and how he hopes this research can be used in the future. Guest: Luigi Puglielli, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Episode Topics 7:47 Tell us about how you manipulated this process of autophagy. Why is this discovery so important? 15:14 What role does acetyl-CoA play in the brain? 19:58 What does the future look like for this research? Show Notes Learn more about Luigi Puglielli, MD, PhD, and his work in his bio and on the Puglielli Lab website. Read Dr. Puglielli’s recent paper “ATase inhibition rescues age-associated proteotoxicity of the secretory pathway,” published online on February 25, 2022 in “Communications Biology.”