Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a slowly progressing neurodegenerative disease clinically characterized by progressive motor impairment in affected people. Synaptic and axonal degeneration is followed by loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, resulting in reduced levels of dopamine in the nigrostriatal circuitry. Besides dopaminergic cell loss, intracellular formation of Lewy bodies, primarily consisting of aggregated α-synuclein, is a hallmark of PD and plays a crucial role in its progression.
PD is a multifactorial disease with various contributing factors. In vitro models, including established cell lines, primary cell cultures and lesion models offer a controlled environment to explore specific pathogenic mechanisms, and the role of genes and proteins involved.
Research on the cellular level focuses on neurotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction as well as aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn), which is often linked to defects in protein degradation pathways.
Scantox provides a wide range of cellular solutions to study these critical aspects of PD pathology in vitro:
PD-Specific Lesion-Induced Neurotoxicity: These models enable the examination of neuronal damage and death following exposure to PD-related toxins, shedding light on the mechanisms of neurodegeneration.
Mitochondrial Impairment: Defined assays allow to evaluate mitochondrial function and dysfunction that are essential for understanding the role of energy metabolism in PD.
α-synuclein Aggregation, Seeding and Autophagy: These models facilitate to evaluate the formation and propagation of α-syn aggregates and the cellular mechanisms of autophagy, providing insights into protein aggregation processes.
Using cell culture systems enables the close examination of PD mechanisms in a controlled and reproducible setup. Moreover, in vitro models facilitate high-throughput screening of potential therapeutic compounds, identifying promising candidates before advancing to in vivo models or clinical trials. By providing comprehensive in vitro services, Scantox is dedicated to advance PD research, aiding to the development of novel therapeutic strategies.