Regulation of Neuronal Survival by the Rit GTPase

The death of neurons causes or contributes to various neurodegenerative disorders including stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. importantly, we have discovered a protein that promotes neuronal survival, protecting neurons from potentially lethal stimuli. Understanding the mechanisms that promote neuronal survival is of fundamental importance to the development of treatment strategies for these disorders. Thus, the goal of this research is to speed progress toward therapeutic exploitation of this protein in neurodegenerative disease.