In a study published in Nature Communications, a team led by UHN Krembil Brain Institute Senior Scientists Drs. Lorraine Kalia and Suneil Kalia and University of Toronto (U of T) professor Dr. Philip M. Kim identified a protein-protein interaction that contributes to Parkinson’s disease.
In the disease, a protein called α-synuclein (a-syn) accumulates in the brain and leads to cell death. Much research is currently focused on clearing a-syn with antibodies or using small molecules to prevent a-syn from aggregating.
In this study, the researchers took an alternate approach by looking for protein-protein interactions that may be promoting the accumulation of a-syn. Through this approach, the team identified a peptide that reduced a-syn levels in cells
“We tested the peptide in multiple experimental models of Parkinson’s disease, and we consistently found that it restored endolysosomal function, promoted a-syn clearance and prevented cell death,” says Dr. Suneil Kalia, who is also an associate professor in the Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, and in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at U of T, and is the R.R. Tasker Chair in Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery at UHN.
Read the full story on the UHN Foundation website
