Ability of a Mitochondria Improver, Berberine, to Attenuate Parkinson's Disease

Objective/Rationale: 
Mitochondrial dysfunction is a central modification underlying the damage of dopamine neurons in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Our hypothesis is that drugs able to stabilise mitochondria (like berberine) could prevent or arrest the evolution of dopaminergic damage and restore movement control in PD.

Project Description: 
Prophylactic and therapeutic prevention by berberine will be tested/evaluated injection Parkinsonian pre-clinical model. We will test the impact of berberine consumption at different doses. Processes underlying the ability of berberine to interfere mitochondrial dysfunction will also be evaluated.

Relevance to Diagnosis/Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease:  
If we are able to provide clear evidence for robust effects of berberine (as suggested by our pilot study) against PD together with a backbone of its mechanism of action, we will have raised sufficient information to justify launching an intervention clinical trial to obtain a proof-of-concept for the clinical utility of berberine in PD.

Anticipated Outcome: 
Overall this project is designed to allow 2 major conclusions, namely if berberine prevents (prophylaxis) and/or reverts (treatment) PD. Furthermore, additional analyses will allow estimating if and how berberine controls mitochondrial function in affected dopaminergic rich regions (and cell line models) and if berberine mostly impacts on mitochondrial-dependent metabolism, on formation of free radicals or on mitochondrial biogenesis.