Background pattern of a brain with neural connections

Team Goedert

Seeded aggregation of alpha-synuclein

2026-Present

Assembly of alpha-synuclein into filaments is central to Parkinson’s disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). By cryo-EM we showed that filaments adopt the same Lewy fold in PD and DLB, with a different fold in MSA. This application aims to identify the molecular identities of non-proteinaceous densities, as well as the structures of alpha-synuclein filaments from additional inherited forms of PD and, as co-pathology from Alzheimer’s disease and progressive supranuclear palsy. We will also establish methods by which to study the mechanisms of seeded aggregation and characterise the alpha-synuclein filaments present following aqueous extraction.

Tags
A53TAlpha-synucleinConformational strainsCryo-EMFibrilGBA (Glucocerebrosidase)iPSC neuronsLewy bodiesLRRK2MSA (Multiple system atrophy)Protein aggregatesSeeding assays

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In the News

Decoding the Blueprint: Advancing Personalized Parkinson’s Treatments

Decoding the Blueprint: Advancing Personalized Parkinson’s Treatments

05/21/2026 — In our community, we often hear: “If you’ve met one person with Parkinson’s, you’ve met one person with Parkinson’s.” This isn’t just an adage — it’s a biological reality. This radical variability is exactly what makes the disease so difficult to outsmart. We’ve learned that a puzzle this fragmented cannot be solved with a single, broad stroke. Our goal isn’t to find one answer for everyone, but the right answer for the right person at the right time.

Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s and The Michael J. Fox Foundation Expand Global Research Initiative with $261M Investment Toward Personalized Treatments

Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s and The Michael J. Fox Foundation Expand Global Research Initiative with $261M Investment Toward Personalized Treatments

04/28/2026 — Today, Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP), in partnership with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF), announced $261 million in new grant funding for the Collaborative Research Network (CRN) to map the biological blueprint of Parkinson’s disease and build a standardized toolkit of global research resources that are needed to turn discoveries into treatments.

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