IIT Mandi's Researcher with Global Partners Sheds New Light on Parkinson's Disease

Researchers from IIT Mandi, in collaboration with international partners, have investigated a key protein that plays a significant role in the development of Parkinson's disease. To further understand the structural alterations, the team employed sophisticated computational modelling techniques. Know details here 

A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi and other international institutions have studied an important protein related to Parkinson's disease. This global team, including experts from universities, medical schools, and pharmaceutical companies, used various methods to learn more about a specific protein known as Alpha-synuclein, which is common in the brain. In people with Parkinson's disease and similar illnesses, this protein undergoes a change where phosphate groups are added to a part of the protein (serine-129).

Work by Dr. Dube Dheeraj Prakashchand, Assistant Professor, School of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, IIT Mandi - teaming up with Ms. Padmini Rangamani, PhD, and lead author Dr. Subhojit Roy, MD, PhD (both from the University of California, San Diego, USA) - has offered the key insight that a protein modification seen in Parkinson's also has a normal role in regular brain function. Other researchers are from Baylor College of Medicine, USA, and Emory University, Atlanta, USA.

Research Findings with Three Practical Implications 

• First, drugs or gene therapies can be designed to ensure that the levels of SER129 are maintained correctly in specific areas of the brain
• Secondly, molecules can be designed to either imitate or disrupt the connections between proteins that involve Ser129P to treat diseases like Parkinson’s
• Lastly, using this understanding of phosphorylated Ser129, models to study diseases like Parkinson's, can be improved. These models can be used to check if Parkinson's medications affect Ser129P in any way

Parkinson's disease is on the rise globally, with experts projecting a substantial 200-300% increase in cases in India over the next two to three decades. Researchers worldwide are actively engaged in unravelling the complexities of this disease, from its causes and progression to understanding patterns and outcomes.

Through a combination of biochemical assays, protein analysis, and gene studies on mouse models, the international research team examined the protein and its phosphorylation patterns. When the phosphorylation of this protein was prevented, it significantly impacted normal brain function, suggesting that a-syn Ser129P might act as a switch triggered by brain cell activity to initiate crucial signalling pathways.

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