Foldable synthetic molecules could infiltrate and bust apart the toxic protein clumps causing Parkinson’s
Researchers say the molecule binds alpha-synuclein in multiple spots and reduced brain clumping and disease symptoms in mice, a preclinical step toward Parkinson’s treatment.
- Researchers at the University in Denver, led by Sunil Kumar, developed SK-129, a synthetic molecule that blocks alpha-synuclein clumping in mice, reducing Parkinson symptoms.
- Current therapies for Parkinson primarily treat symptoms rather than stopping the underlying disease process, creating urgent need for approaches targeting the root cause.
- SK-129 acts as a "molecular brace," binding strongly to early toxic clumps to prevent them from growing, while foldamers disrupt abnormal protein interactions causing aggregation.
- Although SK-129 showed strong promise in animal models, researchers have yet to test its effectiveness in people, with questions remaining about long-term safety and dosing.
- Beyond SK-129, foldamers could open treatment avenues for other neurodegenerative disorders driven by toxic protein aggregation, including Alzheimer and ALS, though many strategies face selectivity challenges.
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Foldable synthetic molecules could infiltrate and bust apart the toxic protein clumps causing Parkinson’s - Seward Independent
Researchers are finding ways to target the toxic proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s that were once considered ‘undruggable.’
The Conversation
Foldable synthetic molecules could infiltrate and bust apart the toxic protein clumps causing Parkinson’s
Toxic clumps of abnormal proteins damage neurons and cause dementia. Juan Gaertner/Science Photo Library via Getty ImagesCurrent therapies for Parkinson’s disease and related conditions primarily treat symptoms but don’t stop the underlying process causing the disease. Increasing evidence suggests that toxic clumps of proteins called alpha-synuclein are among the primary drivers of damage to neurons. My team and I developed a synthetic molecule …
Foldable synthetic molecules could infiltrate and bust apart the toxic protein clumps causing Parkinson’s - Stateline Publications
Current therapies for Parkinson’s disease and related conditions primarily treat symptoms but don’t stop the underlying process causing the disease. Increasing evidence suggests that toxic clumps of proteins called alpha-synuclein are among the primary drivers of damage to neurons. My team and I developed a synthetic molecule that can block these proteins from clumping and spreading in the brains of mice, ultimately reducing symptoms of disease.…
Foldable synthetic molecules could infiltrate and bust apart the toxic protein clumps causing Parkinson’s - Hillsboro Sentry Enterprise
Researchers are finding ways to target the toxic proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s that were once considered ‘undruggable.’
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