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Aligning Science Across Parkinson鈥檚 (ASAP) at 果冻影院
Parkinson鈥檚 disease is a progressive condition of brain degeneration resulting in tremors, stiffness, slowness of movement and other symptoms. Currently there are no reliable measures to track Parkinson鈥檚 progression in the brain, so clinicians rely on monitoring symptoms. Treatments can alleviate the symptoms, but do not slow the progression of the disease.听
Parkinson鈥檚 disease researchers at 果冻影院 are launching three new studies to understand causes and progression of the disease, with the aim of finding new approaches to treatment. The teams are lead by Prof Nick听Wood, Prof John Hardy and Prof Tony Schapira.
The initiative
Support Collaboration
Fund international multidisciplinary teams to encourage the exchange of ideas, foster innovation, and catalyze new experimental approaches
Generate resources
Build infrastructure to support the next generation of Parkinson鈥檚 research through genetic analysis efforts, training support, natural history studies, and other research tools.
Share data
Implement open science policies to ensure that ASAP-funded research, outputs, and tools can be leveraged by the broader community.
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Prof Wood’s team will be bringing together physical chemistry, computational modelling, genetics and neurobiology in order to understand why some brain cells succumb while others are resistant to the pathological processes of the disease. By mapping the genetic and molecular processes that underlie the disease, they aim to distinguish cause and effect and deliver new targets for therapeutics, diagnostics and biomarkers of disease.
Prof Hardy’s Team aim to identify and understand the genes that are involved in the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Progression is very variable, with some individuals having a rapid course and others having a longer and more benign course. Through our world-class interdisciplinary team, we hope to develop a comprehensive model of the biology of progression that will enable the foundations for future drug development efforts.
Prof Schapira's team will be investigating the interplay between specific microbiome signatures and genetic predispositions (with a focus on GBA1 mutations) in the cause of Parkinson's disease. The project is based on an international effort with renowned collaborators led by 果冻影院, namely the IRCCS Mondino Foundation in Italy, the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE) and Imagine Institute in France, as well as the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE).
The Teams
Parkinson鈥檚 disease researchers at 果冻影院 are launching three new studies to understand causes and progression of the disease, with the aim of finding new approaches to treatment. The teams are lead by Prof Nick听Wood, Prof John Hardy and Prof Tony Schapira.
The teams听are among 21 international projects receiving new funding from the Aligning Science Across Parkinson鈥檚 (ASAP) initiative. ASAP is partnering with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson鈥檚 Research to implement its programs and issue these grants.听Another ASAP-funded study, led by KU Leuven in Belgium, involves Dr Christos Proukakis (果冻影院 Queen Square Institute of Neurology) and will investigate the genome and transcriptome at the single cell level in brain and gut, to allow full understanding of the role of genes in Parkinson鈥檚 disease.
The Network
Each team brings together investigators across multiple disciplines, institutions, career stages, and geographies seeking to tackle key knowledge gaps in the basic mechanisms that contribute to Parkinson鈥檚 development and progression. The ASAP CRN fosters deep collaboration within and across teams, with a mandate for open science and open access publication. Grantees have access to the听听where they can interact and work in partnership with others in the network.
The Funders
We are funded by听, whose grant implementation partner is听.
