Donald P. Pizzo

Reduced phosphatases and hyperphosphorylated glutamatergic receptors persist from early to late stages of prion disease

This study shows that phosphatase reduction and receptor hyperphosphorylation occur early in prion disease and precede inflammation.

Aquaporin-4 mislocalization from astrocyte endfeet prolongs survival in a prion-cerebral amyloid angiopathy model

This study shows that reducing AQP4 function in a prion-CAA mouse model prolongs survival and reduces neuroinflammation without affecting prion spread.

ESCRT-0 regulates AMPA receptor currents and Ca2+- dependent signaling

This study shows that Hrs, an ESCRT-0 protein, modulates AMPA receptor currents and Ca2+-dependent signaling by sensing and responding to neuronal activity at synapses.

The cryo-EM-delineated mechanism underlying mimicry of CXCR4 agonism enables widespread stem cell neuroprotection in a mouse model of ALS

The paper demonstrates a synthetic dual-moiety strategy to design CXCR4 agonist peptides that mimic SDF-1, showing therapeutic benefit in a mouse model of ALS through neuroprotection.

Long term rescue of Alzheimer deficits in vivo by one-time gene-editing of App C-terminus.

The paper uses CRISPR-Cas9 to edit the App gene in mice, reducing Alzheimer's disease symptoms and showing long-term benefits.

Serine-129 phosphorylation of α-synuclein is a trigger for physiologic protein-protein interactions and synaptic function

This study shows that phosphorylation of α-synuclein at Serine-129 is a physiologic trigger for protein interactions and synaptic function, challenging its previous association with pathology.

Multimodal monitoring of human cortical organoids implanted in mice using transparent graphene microelectrodes reveal functional connection between organoid and mouse visual cortex

The paper demonstrates functional connectivity between human cortical organoids and mouse visual cortex using transparent graphene microelectrodes and two-photon imaging.