Grant: Project Grant

Degeneration of midbrain dopamine neurons represents the principal cause of one the most prominent human neurological disorder, Parkinson's disease (PD). There is actually no cure for PD and although palliative pharmacological treatment has been developed, initial efficacy decreases over time and many patients stop responding to therapy. There is a large unmet need for a treatment that addresses the cause of the disease and modifies its clinical course. The present research aims to understand how dopamine neurons establish their circuits and to develop efficient cell replacement therapy for Parkinson's disease. Generation of dopamine neurons, with the appropriate set of guidance machinery, are anticipated to effectively reinnervate the proper brain regions upon transplantation. Expected results from this research will help effort to understand the molecular factors contributing to the efficiency of cell replacement therapies in Parkinson's disease.