Andoni Asencor

A vitamin B12 transporter, the transcobalamin receptor (CD320), has been identified as an autoimmune target in patients suffering from the neurologic complications associated with vitamin B12 deficiency in the brain. While CD320 has been studied broadly with regard to vitamin B12 transport, research has not addressed cell-specific functions of CD320 beyond vitamin B12 uptake. My thesis work will allow us to investigate the contributions of neuronal CD320 to the health and maintenance of the brain.

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is one of the thirteen vitamins essential for human health. Broadly, it plays a crucial role in producing DNA and red blood cells. In the human brain, vitamin B12 is essential for the health of the brain. Severe vitamin B12 deficiency in the brain can present as problems with balance, speech, and memory, psychotic episodes, and even dementia-like symptoms in the elderly. The transcobalamin receptor (CD320) is currently understood to be the primary route of transport of vitamin B12 into the CNS. Recent work from our team at UCSF has revealed a treatable autoimmune condition targeting CD320 and leading to a wide range of neurologic and cognitive dysfunction. With CD320 now being revealed as a crucial area of neuroscience research, the function of CD320 beyond vitamin B12 uptake in brain cells, like neurons, remains unknown. Thus, a fundamental understanding of how CD320 contributes to the health and maintenance of the brain is crucial we aim to characterize the susceptibility of the brain to neurologic decline and capability for resiliency in aging.