In the context of the annual meeting for the Society for Neuroscience, which took place in Chicago from October 17 to 21 and brought together more than 30,000 experts in neuroscience from over 80 countries, the Institut du Cerveau – ICM and IPSEN/Oncodesign presented promising results on a potential treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
Mutations of the LRRK2 gene represent the highest risk factor for developing a familial form of Parkinson’s disease. This protein is thus one of the most promising molecular targets in the fight against this neurodegenerative disease. A new inhibitor of LRRK2, known as ODS2005294, discovered by IPSEN and Oncodesign was recently tested with success.
In in vivo preclinical models, researchers showed that this molecule inhibited the phosphorylation of LRRK2 in the brain without secondary effects at efficient doses. The inhibition of LRRK2 could have a neuroprotective effect for neurons.
In the context of a multi-center French study, coordinated by Prof. Jean-Christophe Corvol in collaboration with the IPSEN laboratories, the clinician-researchers of the Institut du Cerveau – ICM and of the national network for clinical research on Parkinson’s disease and abnormal movements (Ns-Park FCRIN), with help from the DNA bank of the Institut du Cerveau – ICM, showed that ODS2005294 induced a strong inhibition of phosphorylation of the LRRK2 protein in peripheral blood cells of patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
These are promising results for the development of new treatments against Parkinson’s disease.