Translational Markers for Precision Medicine in Modifying Parkinson's Disease

This doctoral project, in collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceutica and Verstreken Lab at VIB-KU Leuven, contributes to the improvement of the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Parkinson's Disease. Today, there is an urgent need to shift the classical focus on symptomatic relief towards the modification of the initiation and progression of α-synucleinopathy leading to Parkinson's Disease. In this project, preformed α-Synuclein fibrils (PFF)-seeded mouse models recapitulating the prodromal phase and later motor stage of the disease, will be used to pharmacologically validate translational early biomarkers. They will be mainly related to Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD), the highest prodromal risk factor for phenoconversion towards α-synucleinopathy and subsequent Parkinson's Disease, and other prodromal symptoms. These translational markers will facilitate preclinical testing of new precision medicine therapies and the prediction of their clinical effectiveness in RBD-enriched patients. Furthermore, they will pave the way for further advancements towards a more accurate and earlier diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease.