Ricerc@Sapienza

Prof.  Tramutola's research focuses on neurodegenerative diseases, specifically Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Down syndrome (DS), and the molecular mechanisms involved. She investigates the impact of increased oxidative stress and dysfunctional protein degradation systems on the development and progression of Alzheimer-like dementia, both in individuals with DS and in the general population. Her findings highlight the importance of oxidized and ubiquitinated proteins in proteasome dysfunction and autophagy functionality, shedding light on the progression of Alzheimer-like dementia in DS and beyond. In 2014 during her tenure at the University of Kentucky in Lexington under the guidance of Prof. D.A. Butterfield, she focused on characterizing the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling using postmortem brains obtained from subjects at various stages of AD progression. Her findings unveiled mTOR activation and autophagy suppression in the early stages of AD brains. Recently, Prof. Tramutola research work focused on the insulin-related dysfunction in DS, revealing early pathogenic events linking DS to AD, with implications for therapeutic targeting. She employs an interdisciplinary approach to unravel the molecular and cellular mechanisms of neurodegeneration. Her goal is to enhance our comprehension of neurodegenerative diseases and pioneer innovative therapeutic approaches.