Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of Negev have found that the protein BMP5 / 7 offers a promising treatment that may slow down or stop the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
The findings were published in the prestigious journal Clinical Neurology, Brain.
Parkinson’s disease, which affects more than a million people in the U.S. and 10 million worldwide, causes tremors and severe degeneration due to the progressive degeneration of dopamine-producing brain cells. The protein “alpha-synuclein,” which is present in all human brains, is believed to misfolds and forms toxic lumps in these cells, which causes the disease.
While conventional Parkinson’s Disease treatments improve symptoms, they are not effective in advanced disease stages and, unfortunately, do not slow down or cure the disease.
Dr. Claude Brodski, MD, head of the BGU Laboratory for Molecular Neuroscience, found that BMP5 / 7 signaling in neurons was significantly reduced in dopamine-producing brain cells, which may contribute to disease progression. Parkinson’s.
In fact, we found that BMP5 / 7 treatment, in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease, can effectively prevent movement deficits caused by alpha-synuclein accumulation and reverse the loss of brain cells that dopamine production. These findings are very promising, as they suggest that BMP5 / 7 may delay the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Currently, we are focusing our efforts on bringing our findings closer to clinical application.. “
Dr Claude Brodski, MD, Head of Laboratory for Molecular Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
BGN Technologies, a technology transfer company of Ben-Gurion University, has filed several patent applications covering this advanced discovery.
Dr Galit Mazooz Perlmuter, senior vice president of business development, biopharma at BGN Technologies, says, “There is a great need for new treatments to treat Parkinson ‘s disease, especially in advanced stages of the disease. Dr Brodski ‘s conclusions, although still at an early stage, offer a disease – altering drug target to address this devastating situation We are now seeking an industry partner for further development on this patent pending invention. “
Source:
American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Magazine Reference:
Vitic, Z., et al. (2020) BMP5 / 7 protects dopaminergic neurons in an α -synuclein mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. Brain. doi.org/10.1093/brain/awaa368.