{"id":2511,"date":"2019-07-16T11:49:27","date_gmt":"2019-07-16T15:49:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parkinsonpost.com\/?p=2511"},"modified":"2019-07-16T11:49:27","modified_gmt":"2019-07-16T15:49:27","slug":"honing-in-on-proteins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/honing-in-on-proteins\/","title":{"rendered":"Honing in on proteins"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><img src=\"https:\/\/parkinsonpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/03-Cressatti.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2512\"\/><figcaption>Marisa Cressatti<br \/>PhD candidate <br \/>McGill University<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Research into the causes of Parkinson\u2019s disease increasingly focuses on the interaction among proteins in brain cells. At McGill University, PhD candidate Marisa Cressatti studies the interaction between two proteins, called alpha-synuclein and heme&nbsp;oxygenase-1 (HO-1). If she discovers that HO-1 can accelerate the spread and accumulation of alpha-synuclein, the protein found in clumps in the brain cells of people with Parkinson\u2019s, researchers could target HO-1 as part of a new drug or gene therapy. Cressatti\u2019s research is made possible through a Graduate Student Funding Award for $20,000 over two years and funded in partnership with Fonds de recherche du Qu\u00e9bec \u2013 Sant\u00e9.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Proteins\u2014those complex molecules that regulate many of our body\u2019s functions\u2014have increasingly become the target of research into Parkinson\u2019s disease. For Marisa Cressatti, a neuroscientist and PhD candidate at McGill University, two particular proteins drive her investigation into the causes of Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n<p>Cressatti uses a mouse model to study the interaction between alpha-synuclein, long considered a central culprit in Parkinson\u2019s, and another protein called heme&nbsp;oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Researchers already know large clumps of alpha-synuclein accumulate in the brain cells of people with Parkinson\u2019s. These clumps, called Lewy bodies, appear to contribute to the disease\u2019s progression.<\/p>\n<p>Cressatti focuses on whether alpha-synuclein spreads from one brain cell to another, and if so, whether HO-1 accelerates that spread or contributes to the protein\u2019s clumping.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Using a genetically altered mouse model that has too much HO-1 in its brain, she injects it with a synthetic form of alpha-synuclein to see if it causes any changes in the accumulation of the alpha-synuclein, or increases the protein\u2019s spread across the brain, Cressatti says.&nbsp; \u201cIf we see positive results in this study, we could really implicate HO-1 in this disease.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This basic research is essential if researchers are to understand how different proteins work together to contribute to Parkinson\u2019s disease. If HO-1 does regulate alpha-synuclein, it then becomes a good target for a drug or gene therapy that could slow down Parkinson\u2019s progression. Cressatti\u2019s research is made possible through a Graduate Student Funding Award for $20,000 over two years and funded in partnership with Fonds de recherche du Qu\u00e9bec \u2013 Sant\u00e9. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf the study is successful we might be able to \u2026 design a drug that works on both of them,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>Cressatti\u2019s interest in Parkinson\u2019s disease began when she volunteered with the Alzheimer\u2019s Society during her undergraduate studies. She became a friendly visitor to two women in seniors\u2019 homes, both of whom had dementia.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI met with them every week, and it was always a highlight,\u201d she says. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Cressatti loves the problem-solving skills required to work in a lab, and hopes the results of her work will make meaningful differences in the lives of people like the women she visited. She understands the need to build on other research, and to dedicate patience and hard work to her task.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe time you spend in the lab can be slow or repetitive or long\u2014but when you do get positive results, it\u2019s exciting and fun.&nbsp;Throughout my undergraduate studies I volunteered with a lot of organizations that focused on the elderly \u2026. That ignited my passion for research into a neurodegenerative disorder.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Research into the causes of Parkinson\u2019s disease increasingly focuses on the interaction among proteins in brain cells. At McGill University, &#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/honing-in-on-proteins\/\" class=\"more-link\">En savoir plus<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":32422,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[237],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Honing in on proteins - Parkinson Canada<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Honing in on proteins - Parkinson Canada\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Research into the causes of Parkinson\u2019s disease increasingly focuses on the interaction among proteins in brain cells. At McGill University, ... En savoir plus\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/honing-in-on-proteins\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Parkinson Canada\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/parkinsoncanada\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-07-16T15:49:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/03-Cressatti.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"communications@parkinson.ca\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ParkinsonCanada\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ParkinsonCanada\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"\u00c9crit par\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"communications@parkinson.ca\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Dur\u00e9e de lecture estim\u00e9e\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/honing-in-on-proteins\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/honing-in-on-proteins\/\",\"name\":\"Honing in on proteins - Parkinson Canada\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-07-16T15:49:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-07-16T15:49:27+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/#\/schema\/person\/03860c23b3c90c09c6aade3ba61072d9\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/honing-in-on-proteins\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/honing-in-on-proteins\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/honing-in-on-proteins\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Honing in on proteins\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/\",\"name\":\"Parkinson Canada\",\"description\":\"Empowering the Parkinson&#039;s community across Canada\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/#\/schema\/person\/03860c23b3c90c09c6aade3ba61072d9\",\"name\":\"communications@parkinson.ca\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"fr-FR\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/931eabe92f8bed16e93390bff0d660ab?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/931eabe92f8bed16e93390bff0d660ab?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"communications@parkinson.ca\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Honing in on proteins - Parkinson Canada","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"fr_FR","og_type":"article","og_title":"Honing in on proteins - Parkinson Canada","og_description":"Research into the causes of Parkinson\u2019s disease increasingly focuses on the interaction among proteins in brain cells. At McGill University, ... En savoir plus","og_url":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/honing-in-on-proteins\/","og_site_name":"Parkinson Canada","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/parkinsoncanada\/","article_published_time":"2019-07-16T15:49:27+00:00","og_image":[{"width":200,"height":200,"url":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/03-Cressatti.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"communications@parkinson.ca","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ParkinsonCanada","twitter_site":"@ParkinsonCanada","twitter_misc":{"\u00c9crit par":"communications@parkinson.ca","Dur\u00e9e de lecture estim\u00e9e":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/honing-in-on-proteins\/","url":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/honing-in-on-proteins\/","name":"Honing in on proteins - Parkinson Canada","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/#website"},"datePublished":"2019-07-16T15:49:27+00:00","dateModified":"2019-07-16T15:49:27+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/#\/schema\/person\/03860c23b3c90c09c6aade3ba61072d9"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/honing-in-on-proteins\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"fr-FR","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/honing-in-on-proteins\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/honing-in-on-proteins\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Honing in on proteins"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/#website","url":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/","name":"Parkinson Canada","description":"Empowering the Parkinson&#039;s community across Canada","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"fr-FR"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/#\/schema\/person\/03860c23b3c90c09c6aade3ba61072d9","name":"communications@parkinson.ca","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"fr-FR","@id":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/931eabe92f8bed16e93390bff0d660ab?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/931eabe92f8bed16e93390bff0d660ab?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"communications@parkinson.ca"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2511"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2511"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2511\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}