Funded Studies
Promising Outcomes of Original Grant:
With previous funding from MJFF, we determined how the activity of LRRK2 genetic mutations contributed to inflammation in Parkinson's. We found that inflammation was higher when LRRK2 was more active. This may help explain how LRRK2 contributes to the risk of Parkinson's disease.
Objectives for Supplemental Investigation:
In our follow-up study, we will examine how LRRK2 activity results in increased levels of inflammation. We want to understand if our results are specific to certain kinds of inflammatory stimuli and if our results are reproducible across more cell lines. We will also see if our results are specific for LRRK2 or if activity of another major Parkinson's disease risk gene (i.e., GBA) is also related to inflammation.
Importance of This Research for the Development of a New PD Therapy:
Drugs aimed at regulating the activity of both LRRK2 and GBA are in development for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. This work will provide more information on what these proteins do, which may help improve the design of clinical trials.