In Vivo Screening Of 的rapeutic Small Molecules Against Parkinson’s Disease in C. 线虫模型

We have developed small therapeutic molecules 在体外 to identify potential cure for α-Synuclein (αS) aggregation- a process central to Parkinson’s disease (PD) in Caenorhabditis 线虫 (C. 线虫). 的 goal of the project is to test the therapeutic molecules 在活的有机体内. 的 C. 线虫 will go through paralysis assay for 13 days 和 Confocal Imaging to support if the therapeutic molecule is a sufficient cure for PD. 的 pathological hallmark of PD is the abnormal aggregation 和 accumulation of neuronal proteins αS. 的se proteins assemble into plaques in PD brains. Once the protein adopts plaque conformation, 它变得有毒, 和 it can damage or deplete dopaminergic neurons. Dopaminergic neuronal death causes the onset of PD symptoms. Our lab has designed αS inhibitors as potential therapeutics which was tested on C. 线虫. C. 线虫 are the perfect model organisms for this project as they mimic 60% of the human genome. Our findings showed that some therapeutics molecules decreased αS aggregation.