Colorado State University (CSU) has secured a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study a newly discovered variant of Parkinson's disease that leads to dementia. Dr. Amanda Woerman, an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, is leading the research at the university's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. This funding will support five years of research aimed at understanding how this variant spreads through the nervous system and identifying potential interventions.
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The research began when Woerman's lab identified the variant while examining a tissue sample from a patient diagnosed with Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD). CSU notes that her lab is the first in the United States to discover this particular variant. The next phase of the research will focus on how the variant produces Parkinson's in patients with dementia, with hopes of pinpointing intervention strategies to halt disease progression.
Parkinson's disease is part of a larger group of neurodegenerative disorders, which also includes Alzheimer's disease. These disorders arise when proteins in the brain misfold, ultimately harming the nervous system. While Alzheimer's is the most prevalent neurodegenerative condition, Parkinson's affects around 2 percent of adults over age 65. Many patients experiencing Parkinson's for over a decade develop dementia, with approximately three out of four affected.
Current treatments primarily address symptoms but do not stop disease progression. Woerman's research aims to bridge this gap, working towards potential therapies that could prevent or halt the advancement of Parkinson's disease.
The focus on Parkinson's research within a veterinary college may be unexpected, yet it reflects the interconnectedness of biomedical science across species. Veterinary departments often study conditions impacting both animals and humans. Research on misfolded proteins is relevant to both, as evidenced by diseases like chronic wasting disease in deer and cattle's bovine spongiform encephalopathy. This approach exemplifies the One Health concept, emphasizing the importance of veterinary science in human health advancement.
Woerman's findings related to the new PDD variant have also been published in Acta Neuropathologica Communications.