Affiliation: University of Kansas Medical Center, Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology

Dr. Fengyan Deng received her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2015 from Northwest A&F University, China. After that, she worked as a Research Associate at The University of Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Deng is a specialist in molecular biology, cellular biology, and extracellular vesicles (EVs) research and has extensive expertise in the fields of histology, immunology, and biochemistry. Her research focuses on the potential therapeutic role of different treatments induced EVs on Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD characterized by declining memory and social performance and is acknowledged as the most commonly occurring neurodegenerative disease in the elderly. There is no cure or even a reliable treatment for AD as of now. A lifestyle intervention, such as exercise and heat treatment, can improve cognitive functions in AD patients. However, the mechanisms that mediate this change remain unknown. Increasing evidence reveals that heat shock proteins (HSPs) play important roles in AD progression by preventing protein misfolding and promoting refolding. Also lacking the consensus secretory signals, HSPs can be secreted into the extracellular environment through the EVs. Heat treatment and exercise, which increase the accumulation of HSPs in both cytosol and blood-derived EVs, have been used historically for their presumed therapeutic benefits. It is hypothesized that HSPs enriched EVs from healthy cells can get transferred to the extracellular milieu of the brain or even the brain cells, and further facilitate brain cells protection. Dr. Deng hopes to develop effective EV-based therapeutic strategies for AD.