Maquat, Lynne Archives • Fragile X Research

Beneath the Surface of Fragile X Syndrome: Study Sheds Light on What’s Happening in Nerve Cells

University of Rochester Medical Center Kurosaki, Tatsuaki • Maquat, Lynne • Research Grant Results • Research Updates • University of Rochester February 3, 2021February 17, 2021cancer, drug repurposing, mRNAs, NIH

This FRAXA-funded project has turned up some surprising results. At first, it might seem Kurosaki and Maquat have found yet another cellular process which is malfunctioning in Fragile X. But this finding is intimately related to previous findings of abnormal protein synthesis and misregulated transcription in Fragile X. FMRP (the protein lacking in Fragile X syndrome) is involved in chaperoning messenger RNAs within cells to active sites, and in controlling their translation into many different proteins. Some of these proteins are transcription factors, which feed back to the nucleus to control gene expression.

Repurposing Drugs to Dampen Hyperactive Nonsense-Mediated Decay in Fragile X Syndrome

FRAXA Research Foundation 2015 Grants • 2016 Grants • Disease Mechanisms • Drug Repurposing • Kurosaki, Tatsuaki • Maquat, Lynne • Research Grant Results • Treatment Targets • University of Rochester September 8, 2016February 11, 2021Boston Bruins Foundation, mRNAs, NIH

With a $90,000 grant from the FRAXA Research Foundation, Dr. Lynne Maquat and Dr. Tatsuaki Kurosaki will investigate nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) in Fragile X. NMD is a “housekeeping” process that cells use to prevent faulty proteins from being made. But there is too much of it in Fragile X syndrome. There are already available drugs that suppress NMD – including caffeine.