Objective/Rationale:
To raise and characterize new antibodies in vertebrate animals that allow for the routine measurement of a key protein linked to Parkinson disease, alpha-synuclein. A renewable source of such reagents is vital for an assay to perform in a consistent manner when used by multiple investigators.
Project Description:
We are developing new antibody reagents together with two companies (Open Biosystems, Inc. and Epitomics, Inc.). Our laboratory then examines and optimizes the performance of these new polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to determine how specific and sensitive they are in the quantification of alpha-synuclein in a technique that is called ‘sandwich ELISA’.
Relevance to Diagnosis/Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease:
A new antibody-based ELISA test will allow for the reproducible detection and measurement of alpha-synuclein from different sources, including biological fluids (such as blood and spinal fluid), in tissue culture cells (including nerve cells), and in brain tissue (from rodents and primates). In doing so, they hold the promise to aide biomarker efforts and research projects that focus on the therapeutic reduction of alpha-synuclein concentrations in preclinical models of Parkinson’s.