Despite numerous model developments, researchers have not yet been able to "get to the bottom" of Parkinson's disease. In the DACaION project, Prof. Dr. Nilima Prakash from the Department of Applied Genetics and Stem Cell Biology at the University of Hamm-Lippstadt will cooperate with Dr. Ralf Kühn from the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin. Initially, the production process of the dopamine-producing nerve cells in the petri dish will be examined more closely in vitro. With the new findings, the cell culture process will be optimised and than standardized. On the basis of dopaminergic nerve cells of Parkinson's patients from a previous clinical study disease models are to be developed, with which, for example, small molecules can be tested for their therapeutic efficacy.

The project will be funded by the German Research Foundation with euros 276,000 over three years.

Further information:
https://www.hshl.de/hochschule-hamm-lippstadt/news-presse-blog/presse/dfg-forschungsprojekt-zu-morbus-parkinson-gestartet/