SYNUCLEAN-D. Molecule to cure Parkinson's disease

Salvador Ventura

UAB, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, and its prevalence will continue to increase as the population ages. More than ten million people worldwide suffer from PD.

Current treatments for PD are only effective in controlling the initial motor symptoms of the disease. However, as the disease progresses, these medications become ineffective. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop revolutionary treatments to prevent the progression of Parkinson’s disease, improve the patient’s quality of life and reduce the enormous economic impact of this disease on the healthcare system.

PD is characterized by the aberrant accumulation of aggregate forms of the alpha-synuclein protein (a-Syn) in dopaminergic neurons, causing their degeneration and death. Inhibition of a-Syn aggregation is emerging as a preferred therapeutic strategy for the treatment of PD. SYNUCLEAN-D has been developed as a small molecule capable of preventing degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in animal models of PD, thanks to its ability to inhibit a-Syn aggregation. SYNUCLEAN-D is a unique compound that combines all the desired properties for a molecule to treat PD: it inhibits a-Syn aggregation, breaks down already formed aggregates and prevents their propagation.