The Path to Translation
While the results in laboratory models are groundbreaking, the transition from mouse studies to human treatments is a rigorous and lengthy process. The UVA team is now focused on the next steps of translational research—the process of turning laboratory discoveries into "bedside" medicine for patients.
One of the primary challenges will be ensuring that any treatment designed to block STING is safe for human use. Because STING plays a vital role in the body’s ability to fight off viruses and potentially even recognize and destroy cancer cells, scientists must find a way to dampen its harmful effects in the brain without compromising the rest of the immune system. A delicate balance must be struck to ensure that a treatment for Alzheimer’s doesn’t inadvertently leave a patient vulnerable to other diseases.
These are the questions that Lukens and his colleagues at the Harrison Family Translational Research Center are prepared to investigate. The center is a vital part of UVA’s Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology, a massive research hub currently under construction at Fontaine Research Park. The institute is designed to accelerate the development of next-generation treatments, including cellular and gene therapies, and the STING research is expected to be a cornerstone of its neurodegeneration portfolio.
"Our hope is that this work moves us close to finding safer and more effective ways to protect the aging brain, as there is an urgent need for treatments that can slow or prevent neuronal damage in Alzheimer’s," Lukens said. "Shedding light on how STING contributes to that damage may help us target similar molecules and ultimately develop effective disease-modifying treatments."
Findings Published
The full scope of the study and its findings have been published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, the field’s premier peer-reviewed journal. The multidisciplinary research team included Thanos, Olivia C. Campbell, Maureen N. Cowan, Katherine R. Bruch, Katelyn A. Moore, Hannah E. Ennerfelt, Nick R. Natale, Aman Mangalmurti, and Nagaraj Kerur, alongside Lukens.
The researchers reported no financial conflicts of interest in the work, which was made possible through extensive support from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Aging. Additional funding was provided by the Alzheimer’s Association, the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, the Owens Family Foundation, and the Harrison Family Foundation.
As the global population continues to age, the race to solve the mystery of Alzheimer’s has never been more critical. By identifying STING as a driver of the disease, the University of Virginia has provided a new roadmap for scientists, offering hope to millions that a future without the shadow of neurodegeneration may finally be within reach.
