Dimitri Krainc

Dimitri Krainc is a Slovenian-born American physician-scientist who is the Aaron Montgomery Ward Professor and Chairman of the Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology and Director of the Feinberg Neuroscience Institute and the Simpson Querrey Center for Neurogenetics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. ^[1]  After completing his medical training at the University of Zagreb, Krainc spent more than two decades at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where he completed his research and clinical training and served on faculty until relocating to Northwestern University in 2013. ^[2] He has dedicated his scientific career to studying molecular pathways in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration. His research group discovered how lysosomes and mitochondria interact in normal and diseased cells. This work opened a new area of cell biology for studies of diseases that involve mitochondria and lysosomes and led to pioneering design and development of targeted therapies. He has received numerous awards and recognitions for his work, including the Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award ^[3] and the Outstanding Investigator award from NIH, ^[4] and was elected to the Association of American Physicians, the US National Academy of Medicine, the US National Academy of Inventors, ^[5] the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, ^[6] and the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts. ^[7] Krainc is associate editor of The Journal of Clinical Investigation. He is the principal founding scientist of two biotech companies ^[8] and serves as Venture Partner at OrbiMed. ^[9] Krainc is President of the American Neurological Association. ^[10]

Selected publications

• Minakaki, G. Safren, N., Bustos, B.I., Lubbe S.J., Mencacci, N.E. and Krainc, D (2025). Commander complex regulates lysosomal function and is implicated in Parkinson's disease risk, Science, 11;388(6743):204-211.
• Wong Y.C., Ysselstein, D. and Krainc, D (2018). Mitochondria-lysosome contacts regulate mitochondrial fission via Rab7 hydrolysis. Nature, 15;554(7692):382-386 ^[11]
• Burbulla, L.F., Song, P., Mazzulli, J.R., Zampese, E., Wong, Y.C., Jeon, S., Santos, D.P., Blanz, J., Obermaier, C., Strojny, C., Savas, J., Kiskinis, E., Zhuang, X., Krüger, R., Surmeier, J.D., Krainc, D. (2017) Dopamine oxidation mediates mitochondrial and lysosomal dysfunction in Parkinson's disease. Science, 357(6357):1255-1261 ^[12]
• Song, P, Peng, W., Sauve V., Fakih R., Xie Z., Ysselstein, Y, Krainc, T, Wong, YC,   Mencacci N. Savas J.N., Surmeier D.J., Gehring K. and Krainc, D: Parkinson’s disease linked parkin mutation disrupts recycling of synaptic vesicles in human dopaminergic neurons. Neuron, 2023 ^[13]
• Burbulla, L., Jeon, S., Zheng, J, Song, P, Silverman, R.B. and Krainc, D.(2019) Direct targeting of wild type glucocerebrosidase improves pathogenic phenotypes in multiple forms of Parkinson’s disease. Science Translational Medicine, 16; 11(514) ^[14]
• Ysselstein, D., Nguyen, M., Young, T, Severino, A., Schwake, M., Merchant, K., Krainc, D. LRRK2 kinase activity regulates lysosomal glucocerebrosidase in Parkinson’s Disease pathogenesis. Nature Communications, 2019 ^[15]
• Jeong, H., Cohen, D.E., Cui, L., Supinski, A., Bordone, L., Guarente, L.P., and Krainc, D. (2011) Sirt1 mediates neuroprotection from mutant huntingtin by activation of TORC1 and CREB transcriptional pathway. Nature Medicine, 18(1):159-65. ^[16]
• Mazzulli, J.R., Sun, Y., Knight, A.L., McLean, P.J., Caldwell, G, Sidransky, E, Grabowski, G.A. and Krainc, D. (2011) Gaucher disease glucocerebrosidase and alpha-synuclein form a bidirectional pathogenic loop in synucleinopathies. Cell, 146(1):37-52. ^[17]
• Jeong H., Then F., Mazzulli JR., Melia, T. Savas J., Voisine C., Tanese, N., Hart C.A., Yamamoto A. and Krainc D. (2009) Acetylation targets mutant huntingtin to autophagosomes for degradation. Cell, 137(1):60-72. ^[18]
• Cui L., Jeong H., Borovecki F. Parkhurst C., Tanese, N. and Krainc D. (2006) Transcriptional Repression of PGC-1alpha by Mutant Huntingtin Leads to Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Neurodegeneration. Cell, 126, 59-69. ^[19]
• Zhai, Jeong H., Cui L, Krainc D, and Tjian R. (2005). In vitro Analysis of Huntingtin Mediated Transcriptional Repression Reveals Novel Target and Mechanism, Cell, 123, 1241-53. ^[20]
• Dunah A.W., Jeong H., Griffin A., Kim M.J., Standaert D.G., Hersch S.M., Mouradian M.M., Young A.B., Tanese N., and Krainc D.(2002) Sp1 and TAF130 transcriptional activity disrupted in early Huntington’s Disease. Science, 296(5576):2238-43. ^[21]

References

1. "Faculty Profile". www.neurology.northwestern.edu. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
2. Medicine, Northwestern. "Dimitri Krainc, MD, PhD". Northwestern Medicine. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
3. "Dimitri Krainc | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke". www.ninds.nih.gov. April 2016. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
4. "Krainc to Receive $9 Million, 8-Year NIH Grant". Breakthroughs for Physicians. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
5. Dimmer, Olivia (2023-12-12). "Krainc Elected to National Academy of Inventors". News Center. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
6. "HAZU – Hrvatska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti". www.info.hazu. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
7. "SASA Introduction". www.sazu.si. Retrieved 2025-06-17.
8. "Dimitri Krainc, MD, Ph.D." Vanqua Bio. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
9. "Leadership | OrbiMed" . Retrieved 2023-01-09.
10. Dimmer, Olivia (2023-08-22). "Krainc Elected President of American Neurological Association". News Center. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
11. Wong, Yvette C.; Ysselstein, Daniel; Krainc, Dimitri (2018-02-15). "Mitochondria-lysosome contacts regulate mitochondrial fission via RAB7 GTP hydrolysis". Nature. 554 (7692): 382–386. Bibcode:2018Natur.554..382W. doi:10.1038/nature25486. ISSN   1476-4687. PMC   6209448 . PMID   29364868.
12. Burbulla, Lena F.; Song, Pingping; Mazzulli, Joseph R.; Zampese, Enrico; Wong, Yvette C.; Jeon, Sohee; Santos, David P.; Blanz, Judith; Obermaier, Carolin D.; Strojny, Chelsee; Savas, Jeffrey N.; Kiskinis, Evangelos; Zhuang, Xiaoxi; Krüger, Rejko; Surmeier, D. James (2017-09-22). "Dopamine oxidation mediates mitochondrial and lysosomal dysfunction in Parkinson's disease". Science. 357 (6357): 1255–1261. Bibcode:2017Sci...357.1255B. doi:10.1126/science.aam9080. ISSN   1095-9203. PMC   6021018 . PMID   28882997.
13. Song, Pingping; Peng, Wesley; Sauve, Veronique; Fakih, Rayan; Xie, Zhong; Ysselstein, Daniel; Krainc, Talia; Wong, Yvette C.; Mencacci, Niccolò E.; Savas, Jeffrey N.; Surmeier, D. James; Gehring, Kalle; Krainc, Dimitri (2023-12-06). "Parkinson's disease-linked parkin mutation disrupts recycling of synaptic vesicles in human dopaminergic neurons". Neuron. 111 (23): 3775–3788.e7. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2023.08.018. ISSN   1097-4199. PMC   11977536 . PMID   37716354.
14. Burbulla, Lena F.; Zheng, Jianbin; Song, Pingping; Jiang, Weilan; Johnson, Michaela E.; Brundin, Patrik; Krainc, Dimitri (2021-10-08). "Direct targeting of wild-type glucocerebrosidase by antipsychotic quetiapine improves pathogenic phenotypes in Parkinson's disease models". JCI Insight. 6 (19): e148649. doi:10.1172/jci.insight.148649. ISSN   2379-3708. PMC   8525588 . PMID   34622801.
15. Ysselstein, Daniel; Nguyen, Maria; Young, Tiffany J.; Severino, Alex; Schwake, Michael; Merchant, Kalpana; Krainc, Dimitri (2019-12-05). "LRRK2 kinase activity regulates lysosomal glucocerebrosidase in neurons derived from Parkinson's disease patients". Nature Communications. 10 (1): 5570. Bibcode:2019NatCo..10.5570Y. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13413-w. ISSN   2041-1723. PMC   6895201 . PMID   31804465.
16. Jeong, Hyunkyung; Cohen, Dena E.; Cui, Libin; Supinski, Andrea; Savas, Jeffrey N.; Mazzulli, Joseph R.; Yates, John R.; Bordone, Laura; Guarente, Leonard; Krainc, Dimitri (2011-12-18). "Sirt1 mediates neuroprotection from mutant huntingtin by activation of the TORC1 and CREB transcriptional pathway". Nature Medicine. 18 (1): 159–165. doi:10.1038/nm.2559. ISSN   1546-170X. PMC   3509213 . PMID   22179316.
17. Mazzulli, Joseph R.; Xu, You-Hai; Sun, Ying; Knight, Adam L.; McLean, Pamela J.; Caldwell, Guy A.; Sidransky, Ellen; Grabowski, Gregory A.; Krainc, Dimitri (2011-07-08). "Gaucher disease glucocerebrosidase and α-synuclein form a bidirectional pathogenic loop in synucleinopathies". Cell. 146 (1): 37–52. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2011.06.001. ISSN   1097-4172. PMC   3132082 . PMID   21700325.
18. Jeong, Hyunkyung; Then, Florian; Melia, Thomas J.; Mazzulli, Joseph R.; Cui, Libin; Savas, Jeffrey N.; Voisine, Cindy; Paganetti, Paolo; Tanese, Naoko; Hart, Anne C.; Yamamoto, Ai; Krainc, Dimitri (2009-04-03). "Acetylation targets mutant huntingtin to autophagosomes for degradation". Cell. 137 (1): 60–72. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2009.03.018. ISSN   1097-4172. PMC   2940108 . PMID   19345187.
19. Cui, Libin; Jeong, Hyunkyung; Borovecki, Fran; Parkhurst, Christopher N.; Tanese, Naoko; Krainc, Dimitri (2006-10-06). "Transcriptional repression of PGC-1alpha by mutant huntingtin leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegeneration". Cell. 127 (1): 59–69. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2006.09.015 . ISSN   0092-8674. PMID   17018277. S2CID   15656723.
20. Zhai, Weiguo; Jeong, Hyunkyung; Cui, Libin; Krainc, Dimitri; Tjian, Robert (2005-12-29). "In vitro analysis of huntingtin-mediated transcriptional repression reveals multiple transcription factor targets". Cell. 123 (7): 1241–1253. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2005.10.030 . ISSN   0092-8674. PMID   16377565. S2CID   15700502.
21. Dunah, Anthone W.; Jeong, Hyunkyung; Griffin, April; Kim, Yong-Man; Standaert, David G.; Hersch, Steven M.; Mouradian, M. Maral; Young, Anne B.; Tanese, Naoko; Krainc, Dimitri (2002-06-21). "Sp1 and TAFII130 transcriptional activity disrupted in early Huntington's disease". Science. 296 (5576): 2238–2243. Bibcode:2002Sci...296.2238D. doi:10.1126/science.1072613. ISSN   1095-9203. PMID   11988536. S2CID   21849663.