Phase II Amount
$2,977,682
Parkinson's Disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease,and a major cause of disability in individuals over 65 years of age. PD belongs to a spectrum of diseases termedthe "synucleinopathies", defined by the progressive aggregation of insoluble fibrillary a-synuclein, and includesother disorders such as multiple system atrophy and Lewy body dementia. Currently, there are no objective teststhat can be used to definitively diagnose PD. In addition, differential diagnosis of synucleinopathies is verychallenging and relies heavily on a physician's clinical evaluation. A critical goal in the field is to reliably identifysynucleinopathies at early, asymptomatic stages of the disease, to allow the best chance for correct diseasemodifying or preventative treatments to be effective. This proposal aims to develop a small molecule fluorescentretinal contrast agent as a novel diagnostic for PD and other related synucleinopathies.
Public Health Relevance Statement: Project Narrative
Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) are age-related synucleinopathies defined by the
presence of α-synuclein deposits. Accumulation of α-synuclein has been identified in retina of patients with PD.
The proposed research aims to advance the first diagnostic to image α-synuclein deposits in the eye with a novel
contrast agent.
Project Terms:
