7-methyl-5-(1-((3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)acetyl)-2-3-dihydro-1h-indol-5-yl)-7h-pyrrolo(2-3-d)pyrimidin-4-amine and Parkinson-Disease

Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, leading to the progressive decline of motor control due to the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. At the molecular level, Parkinson's disease share common molecular signatures with most neurodegenerative diseases including the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the brain. Alteration in the buffering capacity of the proteostasis network during aging is proposed as one of the triggering steps leading to abnormal protein aggregation in this disease, highlighting disturbances in the function of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The ER is the main subcellular compartment involved in protein folding and quality control. ER stress triggers a signalling reaction known as the unfolded protein response (UPR), which aims restoring proteostasis through the induction of adaptive programs or the activation of cell death pathways when damage is chronic and cannot be repaired. Here, we overview most evidence linking ER stress to Parkinson's disease. Strategies to alleviate ER stress by targeting specific components of the UPR using small molecules and gene therapy are highlighted.

Topics: Adenine; Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists; Animals; Disease Models, Animal; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress; Genetic Therapy; Humans; Indoles; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Parkinson Disease; Signal Transduction; Unfolded Protein Response

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the aggregation of misfolded proteins in the brain. Among these disorders are the prion diseases, which are transmissible, and in which the misfolded proteins ("prions") are also the infectious agent. Increasingly, it appears that misfolded proteins in Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases and the tauopathies also propagate in a "prion-like" manner. However, the association between prion formation, spread, and neurotoxicity is not clear. Recently, we showed that in prion disease, protein misfolding leads to neurodegeneration through dysregulation of generic proteostatic mechanisms, specifically, the unfolded protein response. Genetic and pharmacological manipulation of the unfolded protein response was neuroprotective despite continuing prion replication, hence dissociating this from neurotoxicity. The data have clear implications for treatment across the spectrum of these disorders, targeting pathogenic processes downstream of protein misfolding.

Topics: Adenine; alpha-Synuclein; Alzheimer Disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Animals; eIF-2 Kinase; Humans; Indoles; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Parkinson Disease; Prion Diseases; Prions; Protein Conformation; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; tau Proteins; Tauopathies; Unfolded Protein Response