Study Rationale: The expression and activity of NOD2, an important immune pattern recognition receptor, is associated with neuroinflammation and Parkinson’s disease (PD) and promising therapeutic target. However, pharmacological agents targeting NOD2 have not been well-characterized at the cellular and molecular level, which limits therapeutic development for PD. To address this major gap for PD drug discovery, our team will characterize existing and emerging pharmacological NOD2 modulators using innovative structural, chemical and cell biology methods.
Hypothesis: Will pharmacological activation or inhibition of NOD2 function impact PD outcomes.
Study Design: Our team will employ innovative structural, chemical and cell biology methods to characterize existing and emerging pharmacological NOD2 modulators for potential PD therapeutic development.
Impact on Diagnosis/Treatment of Parkinson’s disease: Our cellular and molecular characterization of pharmacological NOD2 modulators should guide the development of specific and potent drug candidates for PD therapeutic development.
Next Steps for Development: If successful, our cellular and molecular characterization of pharmacological NOD2 modulators should guide the development of specific and potent drug candidates for PD that can be evaluated in animal models and patient samples.