Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, Aligining Science Across Parkinson’s

Mechanisms Overwhelming Protein and Organelle Quality Control in Parkinson’s Disease

This study focuses on understanding how mitochondria, the energy producers of cells, are kept healthy through a cleanup process called mitophagy, which is regulated by the proteins PINK1 and parkin. When mitophagy fails, damaged mitochondria can release toxic substances that harm neurons, contributing to Parkinson’s disease (PD). The project aims to uncover how PINK1, parkin, and related proteins function together like molecular machines to protect neurons. Using cutting-edge light and electron microscopy along with genetically engineered stem-cell-derived neurons, the researchers will study these mechanisms in detail. Their goal is to build a computerized model of the mitophagy pathway to predict which drugs could enhance its function. Insights from this work could lead to new ways to prevent or treat PD by boosting mitochondrial quality control. Ultimately, the team plans to design targeted drugs based on these molecular insights to improve or restore mitochondrial health in PD.

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