Monitoring and Modulation of Alpha Synuclein in Microglia: Implications for Parkinson’s Disease
Project Overview
In this study, we. aim to do two things: 1) monitor the distribution of a-Syn in Parkinson’s disease (PD) context to understand the factors that can cause a-Syn to build-up in certain cells of the brain, called microglia. Microglia are the brain first responders to damage or infection. They are the ‘army guard’ that ensure the brain is protected. We want to test whether environmental chemicals or genes, which are associated with PD drive more a-Syn into microglia. Knowledge from this approach could help us find ways to enhance the protective function of microglia. 2) Use advanced tools to change the levels of a-Syn in mice to see how changing levels may affect the progression of disease. Here we want to understand whether having more a-Syn facilitate disease and to what extent. We want to better understand whether doing so can be a strategy to develop drugs that can reduce a-Syn. Ultimately, both of these objectives will provide insights for the poorly understood role of a-Syn in PD.
Principal Investigator
Alfred Maluach , University of Ottawa
Partners and Donors
Heart and Stroke Foundation