Regulation of α-synuclein levels by Parkinson's disease-associated kinases

The ability of Parkinson’s disease-associated kinases to regulate the protein α-synuclein is investigated in a new ph.d. project from Aarhus University, HEALTH. The project was carried out by Rikke Hahn Kofoed, who is defending her dissertation on January 11^th, 2018.

Several lines of evidence suggest a key role of α-synuclein in the development of Parkinson’s disease and genetic mutations, which cause an increase in the level of the protein lead to familial forms of the disease. Downregulation of α-synuclein could therefore serve as a possible treatmentstrategy, and even though several methods have been developed to obtain this in animal models, no treatment is yet available in the clinic. This ph.d. project has investigated the possibility of regulating α-synuclein using small molecule drugs, which is suitable for oral administration. The molecules regulate the activity of specific enzymes called kinases, which have been associated with Parkinson’s. This has let to the discovery of a new pathway capable of regulating α-synuclein and which can be modified using these small molecules. The results overall provide new and important knowledge about the opportunities to decrease α-synuclein and can contribute to future development of treatments for Parkinson’s disease.

The defence is public and takes place on January 11^th, 2018, at 1 p.m. in Physiologic Auditorium A (1162-013), Aarhus University, Ole Worms Allé, Aarhus. The title of the project is “Regulation of α-synuclein levels by Parkinson's disease-associated kinase”. For more information, please contact PhD student Rikke Hahn Kofoed, email: rhko@biomed.au.dk, Phone +45 27594527.

Assessment committee:

Associate Professor Peter Bross, Research Unit for Molecular Medicin, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University

Professor Leonidas Stefanis, Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens

Associate Professor Hilal Lashuel, EPFL, Brain Mind Institute Lausanne