Giuseppina Tesco, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine


Dr. Tesco’s group has shown how brain cell death caused by strokes or head injuries can lead to the production of amyloid-beta through the dysregulation of BACE levels in the brain. She identified a novel mechanism of regulation of BACE levels and activity by the trafficking molecule GGA3 (golgi-localized gamma-ear-containing ARF binding protein 3). More recently, Dr. Tesco’s laboratory has demonstrated the role of ubiquitin in the regulation of BACE1 degradation via the GGA pathway. This pathway may be a way to regulate beta-secretase activity therapeutically.

Funded Research

These projects were made possible from Cure Alzheimer's Fund support.

Selected Publications

These published papers resulted from Cure Alzheimer’s Fund support.

Lomoio, S., Willen, R., Kim, W., Ho, K. Z., Robinson, E. K., Prokopenko, D., Kennedy, M. E., Tanzi, R. E., & Tesco, G. Gga3 deletion and a GGA3 rare variant associated with late onset Alzheimer’s disease trigger BACE1 accumulation in axonal swellings, Science Translational Medicine, November 18, 2020, Read More

Kim, M., Suh, J., Romano, D., Truong, M. H., Mullin, K., Hooli, B., Norton, D., Tesco, G., Elliott, K., Wagner, S. L., Moir, R. D., Becker, K. D., & Tanzi, R. E. Potential late-onset Alzheimer’s disease-associated mutations in the ADAM10 gene attenuate alpha-secretase activity, Human Molecular Genetics, October 15, 2009, Read More

Cantu, D., Walker, K., Andresen, L., Taylor-Weiner, A., Hampton, D., Tesco, G., & Dulla, C. G. Traumatic brain injury increases cortical glutamate network activity by compromising GABAergic Control, Cerebral Cortex, March 7, 2014, Read More

Walker, K. R., & Tesco, G. Molecular Mechanism of cognitive dysfunction following traumatic brain injury, Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, July 9, 2013, Read More

Mannix, R. C., Zhang, J., Park, J., Zhang, X., Bilal, K., Walker, K., Tanzi, R. E., Tesco, G., & Whalen, M. J. Age-dependent effect of apolipoprotein E4 on functional outcome after controlled cortical impact in mice, Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism, June 30, 2010, Read More

Walker, K. R., Kang, E. L., Whalen, M. J., Shen, Y., & Tesco, G. Depletion of GGA1 and GGA3 mediates postinjury elevation of BACE1, Journal of Neuroscience, July 25, 2012, Read More

Tesco, G., & Lomoio, S. Pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases: An interplay among axonal transport failure, oxidative stress, and inflammation?, Seminars in Immunology, June 30, 2022, Read More

Gianni, D., Li, A., Tesco, G., McKay, K. M., Moore, J., Raygor, K., Rota, M., Gwathmey, J. K., Dec, G. W., Aretz, T., Leri, A., Semigran, M. J., Anversa, P., Macgillivray, T. E., Tanzi, R. E., & del Monte, F. Protein aggregates and novel presenilin gene variants in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, Circulation, March 1, 2010, Read More