Funded Studies
Objective/Rationale:
PINK1 (PTEN-Induced Kinase 1) is a protein involved in regulating signaling pathways in the energy “powerhouse” of cells, known as mitochondria. Mutations in the gene for PINK1 are associated with some forms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Understanding normal and abnormal PINK1 function may point to ways to target PINK1 for therapeutic development in PD.
Antibodies, molecules normally used by our immune systems to recognize foreign substances, are also used by research scientists to study proteins. Antibodies can be made that recognize any protein of interest and then used to determine, for example, where that protein resides in the body or how its levels change in disease.
As part of its ongoing efforts to provide critical tools to researchers and drug makers, MJFF identified that currently available PINK1 antibodies are suboptimal for routine use in the laboratory. In order to accelerate research efforts, we seek to generate PINK1 antibodies with improved specificity and sensitivity.
Project Description:
MJFF will work with the companies Emerald Biostructures (www.emeraldbiostructures.com) and Epitomics, Inc. (www.epitomics.com) to generate PINK1-specific antibodies.These antibodies will then be made available to the PD research community.
Relevance to Diagnosis/Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease:
A major obstacle in scientific progress is access to essential research tools. In developing this antibody, and making it widely available to investigators in academia and industry, MJFF strives to accelerate PINK1 research.
Anticipated Outcome:
This project will result in the selection of one or several PINK1 antibodies for use by the PD research community.