The call for aid for applied R&D projects promoted by the Ministry of Universities, Science and Innovation and Culture (CUCIC), through the Canary Agency for Research, Innovation and Information Society (ACIISI), will allow the University of La Laguna to develop a research project focused on Parkinson's disease.
The disease causes the loss of dopaminergic neurons, cells that produce dopamine and are found, among other areas, in a region of the brain called the substantia nigra. However, some of these neurons survive even in advanced stages of the disease.
The project will study the characteristics of these neurons and the cellular mechanisms that may be related to their vulnerability and survival. To this end, it will analyze two cell signaling pathways, known as PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK1/2, and their regulation through pharmacological treatments.
The research will focus on the mesostriatal dopaminergic system, a network of neurons that uses dopamine to communicate and is related to different brain functions.
The work will allow for a deeper understanding of the neurochemical profile and the different intracellular signaling pathways present in this system.
The project is part of the Well-being and Health area of the Canary Islands Smart Specialization Strategy (RIS3).
With a score of 71.1 points, the initiative has funding of 191,400 euros for its development.
According to the project documentation, the research results could be transferred to the clinical setting in the coming years. The project also highlights the social and economic impact that neurodegenerative diseases have and will have.
The project is part of the 17 projects funded in the latest regional call for applied R&D, with a budget of more than 2.5 million euros, and is co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), within the framework of the ERDF Program Canary Islands 2021-2027.
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