Alpha Synuclein, cellular dysfunction and Parkinson disease

National Institute On Aging

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Our work on a-synuclein is currently focussed on applying large scale screening approaches to understand the pathobiology associated with this protein, which is now known to not only be a marker of disease but also plays an active role in disease progression. In ongoing work, we have been probing the mechanism by which a-synuclein is taken up from one cell to another, a process that has been proposed to be important in the spread of disease between brain regions. We have now validated a candidate transmembrane protein in cultured cells and have initiated work to determine if this receptor, or an alternate candidate receptor proposed by another group, work to control the spread of a-synuclein fibrils in vivo.