Study Rationale:
Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects people in very different ways. This project will study the biological reasons that may explain this variability. In particular, it will focus on how aging, chronic inflammation and "exhausted" immune cells, which increase with aging, contribute to the development and progression of PD. By studying immune cell exhaustion and dysfunction in both human blood samples and mouse models, this project aims to uncover new ways to prevent, detect, diagnose and treat PD.
Hypothesis:
We aim to understand if and how the aging immune system plays a role in both causing Parkinson’s disease and making its symptoms and progression different from person to person.
Study Design:
This study will analyze blood samples from people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD), those who are at risk of PD, and individuals who do not have PD, to see how their immune cells respond to stress, a proxy for cell exhaustion and aging. We will also use preclinical models to test how certain infections that include brain inflammation and damage may lead to PD. The goal is to understand how immune aging and exhaustion contribute to PD and explore new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat it.
Impact on Diagnosis/Treatment of Parkinson’s disease:
By identifying signs of immune exhaustion that are linked to Parkinson’s disease, this project could lead to new blood-based tests for earlier and more accurate diagnosis. It may also uncover novel treatment strategies that target the immune system to slow or prevent disease progression in specific groups of patients.
Next Steps for Development:
If successful, the next steps will involve validating the identified immune biomarkers in larger patient groups and testing whether therapies that reverse immune exhaustion, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, can slow disease progression. These findings could pave the way for personalized immune-based treatments and earlier, more precise diagnostic tools for Parkinson’s disease.