Invited Speaker

Screening for Inhibitors of α-Synuclein Aggregation and Toxicity: as a novel treatment for Parkinson's disease
Omar M.A. El-Agnaf

Lesions in the brain known as Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites constitute the main pathological features in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies. The main components of the Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites are fibrils of a small protein (14 kDa) named alpha-synuclein. A clear link with PD was established when it was shown that a mutations in the alpha-synuclein gene were found in rare inherited forms of PD. However, the mechanism by which alpha-synuclein deposition is associated with the development of PD is unknown. Several studies indicate that aggregates of alpha-synuclein are toxic to cells, and hence lead to neurodegeneration. However, some evidence indicates that the intermediate oligomers may be the pathogenic species. Therefore, small molecule(s) capable of inhibiting and/or slowing alpha-synuclein early aggregation are an attractive therapeutic approach for preventing the progression of PD and related diseases. In this talk I will discuss our recent studies on the design and screen for compounds that are capable of inhibiting and/or disrupting the self-aggregation process of alpha-synuclein protein.