Llama-derived Nanobodies in the Fight Against Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects more than 10 million people worldwide, and in the face of aging societies this number is expected to increase rapidly in the years to come. PD is a complex neurodegenerative disorder of which the exact underlying mechanisms are still insufficiently understood, and treatments that can halt or even just slow down the disease are lacking. Mutations in the gene coding for the protein Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 (LRRK2) form one of the major causes of the inherited form of PD, while overactivation of LRRK2 is also associated with idiopathic PD. Therefore, LRRK2 is considered as one of the most promising targets for drug development.

In this webcast an overview will be given of recent research performed by the team of Wim Versées and collaborators, revealing new mechanisms that underly the activity and regulation of LRRK2. Subsequently, we will discuss how these new insights triggered the discovery of Nanobodies that interfere with LRRK2 activity and regulation in a number of different ways. Nanobodies are small, single-domain fragments of heavy-chain antibodies that occur in all members of the camelid family. Finally, the future potential applications of these Nanobodies in the fight against PD will be reflected upon.

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Llama-derived Nanobodies in the Fight Against Parkinson’s Disease

Llama-derived nanobodies in the fight against Parkinson’s disease

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