The researcher Luís Pereira de Almeida, from the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC) of the University of Coimbra (UC), was chosen to lead a new European project to identify potential therapeutic targets in Parkinson's and Machado-Joseph's diseases, approved by Community Program “Joint Program -Neurodegenerative Disease Research” (JPND).
In addition to the Portuguese team, made up of two dozen researchers, Luís Pereira de Almeida will also coordinate teams of researchers from the University of Luxembourg and the University of Paris Descartes.
The project, entitled “SynSpread”, has a duration of three years and a global budget of 750 euros, and aims to understand the role of protein migration involved in these two incurable diseases.
The CNC researcher emphasizes that «the research aims to study the interaction that autophagy (cleaning mechanism inside the cell) establishes with the secretion of exosomes (vesicles expelled by the cells), and how they contribute to the spread of the disease to other cells in the brain".
“Our research will be carried out in neurons of patients with Parkinson's and Machado-Joseph, and will use neuroimaging techniques to map the pathway that proteins take in the context of autophagy and exosome secretion in the brain. The results of this mapping may contribute to predict the progression of neurodegenerative diseases», explains the UC professor, who is also a professor.
The JPND program is the largest global initiative to combat neurodegenerative diseases, aiming to promote the discovery of the causes and treatments of these pathologies.
Author: Cristina Pinto (Press Office – University of Coimbra)
Science in the Regional Press – Ciência Viva
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