Project Overview

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a serious brain disorder that affects movement, and quality of life for over 10 million people worldwide. Current treatments ease symptoms but do not slow or stop the disease. To develop better therapies, we need to understand the underlying biological processes that drive PD. One promising area is lipid metabolism. Lipids, or fats, are not just stored energy—they help cells communicate, respond to stress, and regulate the immune system. In PD, lipid balance becomes disrupted, contributing to both brain cell damage and immune system dysfunction. However, the specific pathways linking lipids, the immune system, and brain degeneration remain unclear. A key factor in lipid regulation is a family of enzymes called Stearoyl-CoA Desaturases (SCDs). Humans have two types: SCD, found mainly in metabolic tissues like the liver, and SCD5, found primarily in the brain and pancreas. Although they perform similar chemical reactions, these enzymes likely have distinct roles in health and disease. Most research animals, such as mice, lack SCD5, making it difficult to study its contribution to human disease.

This project aims to separately investigate the roles of SCD and SCD5 in PD. Using patient-derived blood and brain cells and zebrafish models that naturally carry both enzymes, we will explore how each enzyme influences lipid metabolism, immune function, and brain cell health.

By distinguishing the functions of SCD and SCD5, this research will shed light on how lipids and the immune system interact in PD. Ultimately, it may identify one of these SCDs as an effective therapeutic in humans, opening new pathways for treatments that could slow or stop disease progression.

Principal Investigator

Martine Tetreault , University of Montreal

Team Members

Eric Samarut, Centre Hospitalier de L’Université de Montréal

Laura Hamilton, CRCHUM

Janelle Drouin-Ouellet, University of Montreal

Mattieu Ruiz, Universite de Montreal

Partners and Donors

Krembil Foundation