Carmela R. Abraham, PhD

Emeritus Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Our laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms leading to normal brain aging and the pathological processes that culminate in Alzheimer’s disease. We utilize the rhesus monkey as a model for understanding changes that occur during non-pathological aging. With microarray analysis we identified genes that play crucial roles in brain dysfunction leading to cognitive decline. An example is Klotho, a cytoprotective, anti-aging protein. We found that Klotho expression is considerably decreased in the aged brains of monkeys, rats, and mice. We are now working to comprehensively characterize the role of Klotho in normal aging and disease. Our projects are to identify Klotho receptors in the brain and define the signaling pathways by which Klotho exerts its protective effects. We are also studying Klotho’s transcriptional regulation and have identified compounds to therapeutically exploit these protective effects. Another line of investigation in our lab is to understand the biology of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), the parent protein of the amyloid beta peptide (Abeta), which accumulates in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients and causes irreversible neurodegeneration. Certain mutations in APP result in autosomal dominant, early onset familial Alzheimer’s disease due to the increased production of Abeta. Since APP homodimerization is believed to be involved in Abeta formation in the brain we searched and identified molecules capable of intervening in this process to reduce the levels of toxic Abeta peptide in the brain.

Publications

  • Published 2/22/2025

    Roig-Soriano J, Edo Á, Verdés S, Martín-Alonso C, Sánchez-de-Diego C, Rodriguez-Estevez L, Serrano AL, Abraham CR, Bosch A, Ventura F, Jordan BA, Muñoz-Cánoves P, Chillón M. Long-term effects of s-KL treatment in wild-type mice: Enhancing longevity, physical well-being, and neurological resilience. Mol Ther. 2025 Apr 02; 33(4):1449-1465. PMID: 39988871.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 6/11/2024

    Dubnov S, Bennett ER, Yayon N, Yakov O, Bennett DA, Seshadri S, Mufson E, Tzur Y, Greenberg D, Kuro-O M, Paldor I, Abraham CR, Soreq H. Knockout of the longevity gene Klotho perturbs aging and Alzheimer's disease-linked brain microRNAs and tRNA fragments. Commun Biol. 2024 Jun 11; 7(1):720. PMID: 38862813.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 9/12/2023

    Dubnov S, Yayon N, Yakov O, Bennett DA, Seshadri S, Mufson E, Tzur Y, Bennet ER, Greenberg D, Kuro-O M, Paldor I, Abraham CR, Soreq H. Knockout of the longevity gene Klotho perturbs aging- and Alzheimer's disease-linked brain microRNAs and tRNA fragments. bioRxiv. 2023 Sep 12. PMID: 37745362.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 3/14/2023

    Roig-Soriano J, Sánchez-de-Diego C, Esandi-Jauregui J, Verdés S, Abraham CR, Bosch A, Ventura F, Chillón M. Differential toxicity profile of secreted and processed a-Klotho expression over mineral metabolism and bone microstructure. Sci Rep. 2023 Mar 14; 13(1):4211. PMID: 36918615.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 10/22/2022

    Abraham CR, Li A. Aging-suppressor Klotho: Prospects in diagnostics and therapeutics. Ageing Res Rev. 2022 Dec; 82:101766. PMID: 36283617.

    Read at: PubMed

View All 147 Publications:   View Full Profile in BUMC

Other Positions

  • Professor, Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
  • Member, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research
    Boston University
  • Graduate Faculty (Primary Mentor of Grad Students)
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences

Websites

Education

  • Harvard University, PhD
  • Tel Aviv University (TAU), BSc

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