Nature Webcast: Llama-derived Nanobodies in the Fight Against Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects more than 10 million people worldwide, and in the face of aging societies this number is expected to increase rapidly in the years to come. PD is a complex neurodegenerative disorder whose exact underlying mechanisms are still insufficiently understood, and treatments that can halt or even slow down the disease are lacking.

Mutations in the gene coding for the protein Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 (LRRK2) are a leading cause of the inherited form of PD, while overactivation of LRRK2 is also associated with idiopathic PD. Therefore, LRRK2 is considered as one of the most promising targets for drug development.

This webcast will present recent research performed by Wim Versées and collaborators, revealing new mechanisms that underly the activity and regulation of LRRK2. These new insights triggered the team’s discovery of nanobodies -- small, single-domain antibody fragments found in all members of the camelid family -- that interfere with LRRK2 activity in a number of different ways. The Versées Lab is now pursuing potential applications of these nanobodies in the fight against PD.

Speaker:

• Dr. Wim Versees from Vrije Universiteit Brussel, VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology

Learn:

• How fundamental insights into enzyme mechanisms can lead to novel therapeutic strategies
• The different steps in nanobody generation and characterization
• How nanobodies can modulate (inhibit/activate) protein activity in many different ways

Price: Free