The Ubiquitin Proteasome System (UPS) is the main sensor for the health of neurons. Just as mutations in parkin ubiquitin ligase leads to Parkinson’s disease (PD), perturbation in the UPS appears as a cause for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Huntington's Disease and ALS. Neurodegenerative disease and environmentally influenced neurodegenerative conditions such as traumatic brain injuries (TBI) have several characteristics in common. The primary commonality between these neuronal diseases and TBI is the inability to respond to misfolded proteins. Dysfunction in the UPS plays a key role in development of neuronal diseases and neurodegenerative conditions. 

Life-altering effects of TBI/recurrent TBI (football player Aaron Hernandez comes to mind) can be diagnosed with markers of the UPS in human blood. Such a biomarker assists in not only identifies the presence of a TBI, but also measures the degree and intensity of the injury. Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1, or UCH-L1, has been associated with TBI and Central Nervous System (CNS) damage and is positioned to be the new preferred diagnostic marker for TBI and CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). UCH-L1 levels are measured through biofluids such as serum and cerebrospinal fluid, showing elevated amounts after a traumatic brain event. Increased UCH-L1 levels are proportional to the severity of TBI.

LifeSensors has invested more than twenty years in developing UPS biomarkers ,new research tools, and new methods for studying neurodegenerative conditions. LifeSensors can assist you with your research on neurodegeneration.