Drugs Targeting NAADP Action to Combat Neurodegeneration

Project Description Narrative:

The direct and indirect costs of Parkinson’s disease are estimated to be approximately $15 billion per year in the U.S. This cost burden will rise substantially as baby-boomers age. Parkinson’s disease will place an increasing economic burden on the state of Wisconsin in terms of nursing home costs for people living with Parkinson’s disease, their families, and local communities, as it is estimated that the number of patients will double by 2030. Death rates in Wisconsin from Parkinson’s disease are higher than the U.S. average, contrasting with the outcome statistics from many other chronic diseases within the state. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new therapeutic approaches and drugs for Parkinson’s disease, especially for identifying novel therapies that promote neuronal regeneration rather than focusing on palliative interventions that only alleviate symptoms.

This project will evaluate the potential of novel small molecules for reversing cellular defects seen in Parkinson’s disease. In the long-term, if successful, experiments conducted in this project will prioritize defined drug candidates for evaluation in a clinical setting. In the short term, the researchers anticipate future new applications for extramural funding.