Exercise combined with an LRRK2-blocking treatment to prevent Parkinson's disease
Official title: Exercise and pharmacological LRRK2 inhibition for preventing PD
Funded at VA New Jersey Health Care System · NIH-11353048 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will see if regular exercise plus a medicine that blocks LRRK2 can lower the chance of developing Parkinson's disease after a mild traumatic brain injury, especially for veterans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA New Jersey Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (East Orange, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2020 |
| Project end | May 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5IK2RX003253-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11353048 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people, including veterans, with a history of mild traumatic brain injury who are concerned about future Parkinson's risk.
✕Less likely to help
People without prior mild TBI or whose Parkinson's risk is driven by causes unrelated to LRRK2 are unlikely to benefit from these specific approaches.
What this research studies
If you had a mild traumatic brain injury, this research looks at whether rehab-style exercise and a medicine that blocks the LRRK2 protein can protect the brain cells lost in Parkinson's. The team uses animal models that mimic mTBI and Parkinson's to compare groups that get exercise, the drug, both, or neither while monitoring movement and balance. They also examine brain tissue for spread of alpha-synuclein and loss of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra. The goal is to learn whether combining exercise during recovery with LRRK2-targeting treatment could lower future Parkinson's risk after mTBI.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to rehab programs and LRRK2-targeting medicines that reduce the chance of developing Parkinson's after mild traumatic brain injury.
How similar studies have gone: Exercise and rehabilitation have shown brain-protective benefits in people and animals, while drugs that target LRRK2 are promising but still mainly in early preclinical and early clinical testing.
Where this research is happening
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VA New Jersey Health Care System
East Orange, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Delic, Vedad — VA New Jersey Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Delic, Vedad
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.