Neuroprotection in Parkingson's Disease

Project Summary:

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, affecting millions of people worldwide including an estimated 75,000 people in Wisconsin. However, current treatments do not address the root cause of the disease, and their effectiveness wanes over time.

PD is caused by the death of brain cells (neurons), therefore preventing or slowing the death of neurons with neuroprotective drugs may prevent or delay the onset and progression of PD. Emerging evidence suggests that endocannabinoid system is a valuable target for neuroprotection for PD as well as other degenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and others.

This project aims to test whether drugs targeting the endocannabinoid system are effective to prevent neurodegeneration, how they protect against neurodegeneration, and whether these drugs are effective at treating symptoms caused by PD.