Nanotechnology to combat the progression of Parkinson's disease

Marta Martínez-Vicente

Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Spain

Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's. It is a disease with no cure at present, and so far there are only treatments that alleviate some of the symptoms, but do not halt it or delay the progressive death of dopaminergic neurons, which is the main cause of the pathology. For this reason, there is an urgent need to develop new therapies aimed at halting this neurodegenerative process.

Recent studies in animal models have shown that restoring the function of the lysosomal enzyme GBA can prevent neurodegeneration and alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. A therapy has already been approved for use in humans that is capable of delivering the GBA enzyme. However, this potential therapeutic treatment has not been applicable to date in Parkinson's disease because the GBA enzyme cannot cross the blood-brain barrier to reach the central nervous system, where it can exercise its function.

To overcome this important limitation, the researchers in this project are developing an innovative technology based on polymeric nanoconjugates capable of delivering the GBA enzyme intranasally to the brain to slow neurodegeneration. This opens up a promising innovative approach to halting the progression of Parkinson's disease which also suggests a new pathway for the future application of this new nanomedicine to other neurodegenerative diseases.

• Julia Lorenzo, Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain

• María Jesús Vicent, Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe (CIPF), Spain

New nanotechnological therapy for Parkinson´s disease: nose to brain delivery of GBA-polymer nanoconjugates

€599,723.00