conra-affy-mouse-89474

Parkinsons disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are the two most common examples of synucleinopathies, i.e. human disorders that display intracellular deposition of the Alpha-synuclein (aSYN) protein. The two forms of aSYN deposits, intracellular Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites, are in the PD brain primarily found in the substantia nigra whereas in DLB brains they are diffusely spread in cortical and limbic areas. We are currently analyzing the protective effects on aSYN pathology by the molecular chaperone hsp70 in mice overexpressing wildtype human aSYN. Moreover, transgenic mice overexpressing hsp70 have been cross-bred with the aSYN mouse line. Intriguingly, the aSYN / hsp70 double transgenics display a pronounced reduction in biochemically assessed aSYN aggregation. Gene expression of these mice will not only provide insight into the disease mechanisms of aSYN pathology but its prevention by the overexpression of hsp70, leading to new potential avenues of treatment.

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