My overall research is focused on elucidating the molecular and biochemical regulation of the protein kinase, glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3), and revealing its contribution to pathological disorders. GSK-3 is emerging as a prominent drug discovery target in neurodegenerative disorders including ALS, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s disease. In a recent work we identified lysosomes as novel targets of GSK-3. I thus suggest that impairment in protein clearance pathways induced by aberrant GSK-3 activity is key in GSK-3 contribution to the disease pathogenesis. I further suggest that inhibition of GSK-3 is a potential therapeutic strategy in treating CNS disorders.

My laboratory is focused for the past 15 years in development of highly selective GSK-3 inhibitors that are unique in their biding mode and mechanism of action thus insuring selectivity and safety. Our pipeline includes novel GSK-3 inhibitors with significant therapeutic benefits in animal models of depressive behavior, multiple sclerosis, and AD. My goal is to implicate our drug design strategy and new compounds as a new therapeutic approach in treating in AD and related indications.