In progress
Novel therapies in pediatric neurodegeneration with energy metabolism dysfunction: MENCIA LAB.
The growing incidence of neurodegenerative diseases represents a huge challenge, and their understanding requires multidisciplinary approaches.
Duration
3 years
Budget
450.000 €
Funder
Alejandra Darling & Antonio Zorzano
Objective
Create an IRB Clinics Laboratory initially oriented to study the mechanisms that control the synthesis of mitochondrial proteins, and to search for therapies in one neurodegenerative disorder, referred to as COXPD1.
Results
The growing incidence of neurodegenerative diseases represents a huge challenge, and their understanding requires multidisciplinary approaches. Neurodegenerative disorders are heterogeneous and characterised by a progressive loss of neurons leading to the loss of previously acquired motor, sensory and cognitive functions. The mechanisms by which neurodegeneration develops are not well understood, and increasing evidence implicates mitochondrial dysfunction in its development and progression. Unlike the case of neurodegenerative pathologies in adulthood, in pediatric neurology neurodegeneration, the defects are mostly monogenic, and this situation offers a unique opportunity to identify novel neurodegeneration pathways and therapeutic targets.
We propose to create an IRB Clinics Laboratory initially oriented to study the mechanisms that control the synthesis of mitochondrial proteins, and to search for therapies in one neurodegenerative disorder, referred to as COXPD1.
Execution: 
25%