Biology Of Aging Neurodegeneration

AY2019/2020 Semester 2

The aim of this course is to understand pathologic mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases at the molecular and cellular level. The hallmark of those aging-associated diseases, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, is protein aggregation that occurs when protein homeostasis collapses. Cellular protein homeostasis is maintained by regulating protein synthesis, folding and degradation. Therefore, this course will address the whole life cycle of proteins and you will learn how failure of each step of the cycle is linked with neurodegenerative diseases. Various genes and pathways involved in aging are also an important topic of the course. This course will help you understand why debilitating neurodegenerative diseases are on the increase in our society and how to approach to cure them.