Member Highlight: Dr. Zheng Sun, GC-CPEH GE2 Theme Co-Lead
GC-CPEH GE2 Co-lead and associate professor of medicine – endocrinology Dr. Zheng Sun, together with colleague Dr. Hu Chen, assistant professor of pediatrics, at Baylor College of Medicine have been studying the effects of exercise in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model which was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the flagship journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, and offers insights into potential new ways to prevent or treat this condition.
Their study found that physical activity improved memory in mice with Alzheimer’s disease by reactivating key signaling pathways in the brain linked to learning and memory. The team discovered that exercise boosts levels of heparin-binding EGF (HB-EGF), which, when administered intranasally to sedentary mice, also enhanced memory and reduced amyloid buildup. These results highlight EGFR and insulin signaling as potential targets for therapies aimed at slowing or preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
For the complete details of this study, read the paper here.