Fueling Discovery in the Etiology, Pathology, and Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disease
It is estimated the aging worldwide population will result in over 100 million sufferers of dementia by the year 2050, a postulate that continues to drive major research efforts in neurodegenerative diseases and the associated loss of cognitive function. Diseases such as Alzheimer’s (AD), Parkinson’s (PD), Huntington’s (HD), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) are considered diseases of protein homeostasis (proteostasis), characterized by loss of specific neuronal populations, and the presence of inclusion bodies consisting of insoluble, unfolded proteins. Drug development programs for treatment of these diseases include modulators of key proteins and enzymes that regulate proper protein folding, modification, and clearance, seeking to reverse or prevent the accumulation of protein aggregates and toxic intermediates.