Elena Posse De Chaves

Biography

Elena Posse de Chaves is a professor belongs to the department of Pharmacology from the university of Alberta.

Research Interest

AD is the most common form of age-related dementia. In 2008, 103,700 new cases of AD were diagnosed in Canada, which represents 1 case every 5 minutes. It is estimated that by 2038 the number will rise to 257,800 new cases per year (1 every 2 minutes) while the economic burden of dementia, now at $15 billion a year, will increase tenfold to $153 billion if new treatment strategies are not implemented. To accomplish this we need a better understanding of the molecular basis of the disease. AD is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide in the brain. Lipids, in particular cholesterol, are emerging as key players in AD. Cholesterol regulates Aβ production and the cholesterol transport protein apolipoprotein E (apoE4) has been long-linked to AD. The E4 isoform of apoE is one of the few risk factors consistently associated with the most common, non-familial form of AD. Moreover, controversial epidemiological studies have suggested that high cholesterol levels in mid-life are also a risk factor for AD, and that treating humans with cholesterol lowering medications might reduce the risk of developing AD or help treat it. Statins, the most prescribed medications in North America, inhibit the mevalonate/cholesterol synthesis pathway. We have found a new link between the mevalonate pathway and Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. Our studies will help uncover the molecular mechanisms that participate in the pathophysiology of AD.