Understanding how a protein called alpha-synuclein causes harm in Parkinson disease
Official title: Biophysical determination of the underlying cause of α-Syn oligomer toxicity
Funded at Texas A&m Agrilife Research · NIH-11171340 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research aims to understand how changes in a protein called alpha-synuclein lead to nerve cell damage in people with Parkinson disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas A&m Agrilife Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Station, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 15, 2021 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $283,213 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM142869-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11171340 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research is not recruiting patients, but future clinical trials stemming from this work would likely seek individuals with Parkinson disease.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not diagnosed with Parkinson disease or related neurodegenerative conditions would not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
Parkinson disease is linked to the clumping of a protein called alpha-synuclein inside brain cells. We believe that the way these protein clumps form, influenced by fats in brain cells, determines how toxic they are. Our team has developed a new way to look at the structure of these protein clumps without damaging them. We will use this method to see how different fat environments change the protein clumps and then test how harmful these different clumps are to brain cells from mice, helping us understand their role in Parkinson disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new targets for treatments that prevent or slow the progression of Parkinson disease by stopping harmful protein clumps from forming.
How similar studies have gone: This project uses a novel biophysical imaging approach developed by the research group to investigate protein structures, building on existing knowledge about alpha-synuclein aggregation.
Where this research is happening
-
Texas A&m Agrilife Research
College Station, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kurouski, Dmitry — Texas A&m Agrilife Research
- Study coordinator: Kurouski, Dmitry
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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.