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Article Title:
Parkinson’s Breakthrough Could Slow Disease Progression
In an early-stage breakthrough, a team of Northwestern University
scientists has developed a family of compounds that could
slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease, which causes
tremors, rigidity, and difficulty moving.
The new compounds were developed by Richard B. Silverman,
the John Evans Professor of Chemistry at the Weinberg
College of Arts and Sciences and inventor of the well-known
drug Lyrica, and D. James Surmeier, PhD, chair of physiology at
the Feinberg School of Medicine. Their research was published
in the Oct. 23 Nature Communications.
The compounds target and shut down a relatively rare
membrane protein that allows calcium to flood into dopamine
neurons. Surmeier’s previously published research showed that
calcium entry through this protein, which he identified as the
Cav1.3 channel, stresses dopamine neurons, potentially
leading to premature aging and death.
“By shutting down the channel, we should be able to slow
the progression of the disease or significantly reduce the
risk that anyone would get Parkinson’s disease if they
take this drug early enough,” Surmeier says.
Silverman’s challenge was to design new compounds
that specifically targeted this rare Cav1.3
channel. He and his colleagues tested 60,000 existing
compounds before testing additional compounds he
had developed in his lab for other neurodegenerative
diseases. After Silverman identified one that
had promise, it took nine months to refine the
molecules until they were effective at shutting
down only this channel.
Surmeier’s lab tested the new compounds, which
did precisely what they were designed to do, without
obvious side effects. The Northwestern team has to
improve the pharmacology of the compounds to make
them suitable for human use, test them on animals, and
move to a Phase 1 clinical trial.
“By shutting down the channel, we should be
able to slow the progression of the disease or
significantly reduce the risk that anyone would
get Parkinson’s disease if they take this drug
early enough,” Surmeier says.
The research was supported by the Michael J. Fox Foundation
and the RJG Foundation.
p.8 — wardroundsonline.com