Sambamurti Lab

Kumar Sambamurti, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Neurosciences
Director, Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. Neuropathology Laboratory

Office: (843) 792 4346
Fax: (843) 792-0679
Email: sambak@musc.edu

Dr. Sambamurti’s Lab

Kumar Sambamurti, Ph.D., Professor, Eminent Scholar
Tada Utsuki, Ph.D.
Emily Hollings- Research Specialist

Our research aims to understand the basis of neurodeneration in age-related neurodegenerative diseases.  We are using multiple approaches in several disease models to systematically uncover the common pathways in neurodegeneration and to identify methods to prevent or treat the process.  A key focus on the lab has been Alzheimer’s disease (AD).  In this disease, there is a characteristic deposition of the 42-residue amyloid β protein (Aβ42) demonstrating the failure of protein homeostasis in the brain.  Similar protein accumulation is characteristic of a number of other degenerative diseases in the CNS such as age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) as well as somatic tissues as in islet amyloid.  The general assumption has been that the neurodegeneration is caused by specific toxicity of the accumulated protein aggregates.  Interestingly cholesterol has been identified as a risk factor in AD and also in ARMD.  Both diseases show extracellular deposits of amyloid.  Our studies are evaluating the role of amyloid and the secretases in AD as well as retinal generation to understand common mechanisms of degeneration.  We hope and expect that the detailed evaluation of the common pathways of degeneration in AD and forms of retinal degeneration will identify ways to prevent and treat these devastating diseases.

R01 AG023055 (Sambamurti) 7/1/5-6/30/10 1.2 cal mos NIH/NIA

Regulation and Cell Biology of Beta-Secretase.  The major goals of this project are to understand the regulation of BACE1.

5 R01 AG 022103 (Sambamurti) 6/1/03-5/31/10 3.12 cal mo. NIH/NIA

Cholesterol and Amyloidosis.  The major goals of this study are to understand the effects of cholesterol on amyloidosis.

R21 NS063183 (Bhat, PI). 5/15/09-4/30/11 0.36 cal mos NIH/NINDS

Atherogenic Induction of Neuroinflammation.  The project examines the role of neuroinflammation on amyloidosis

5R01 AG012122 (Granholm-Bentley, PI) 7/1/6-6/30/11 0.6 cal mos NIH/NIA

An Animal Model for Age-Related Degeneration.  The project is to understand the mechanisms of neurodegeneration in Down’s syndrome.