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Programmable RNA editing in Parkinson’s disease therapy

Project Summary

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder causing severe motor dysfunction and cognitive impairment, affecting >10 million people worldwide. Current treatments are symptomatic, and to date, there are no available therapies proven to cure, halt, or slow disease progression. This team will employ a novel therapeutic technique that harnesses the endogenous adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR) enzymes for site-directed A-to-G editing - to correct pathogenic mutations causing Parkinson’s disease. They will design and optimize a gene therapy product - ADAR-recruiting guide RNAs - which when delivered to patient-derived cells in vitro or mouse models of PD in vivo can repair pathogenic mutations with high efficacy and specificity, and a promising safety profile.

Participants

Lead Researcher(s): 

Team Member(s)

Rohini Datta
Faria Zafar

Funding Type: 
Neuroscience:Translate
Round: 
5
Award Year: 
2023