Titel: PhD
Position: Assistant professor at the Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences
MALDI imaging mass spectrometry reveals brain areas that are involved in adverse motor effects of L-DOPA-treatment in Parkinson’s disease.
Research area
Neurotoxicology and neurological adverse drug reactions.
Research interest
We use MALDI –TOF imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI IMS) for the topographical assessment of proteins, neuropeptides and neurotransmittors, and their changing concentrations in brain during physiological and pathophysiological events. In particular we focus on Parkinson’s disease (PD) which is characterized by degeneration of dopamine (DA) neurons and a dramatic loss of DA in the striatum. About 1% of the population over 65 years suffers from PD and the cardinal symptoms that include akinesia, bradykinesia, muscle rigidity, and tremor. DA replacement therapy with L-DOPA is currently the most effective pharmacotherapy for patients with PD, however with PD disease progression and long-term L-DOPA treatment complications occur in many patients. The main adverse drug effects are troublesome motor complications such as “wearing off” fluctuations and L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID). Despite large efforts in the field of LID research, the difficulties we face today remain as how to dissociate the molecular changes that arise by the motor execution of LID, from causative changes that induce or predispose to dyskinesias. Our group studies the brain structures of the basal ganglia for molecular correlates of the incidence and severity of LID in an experimental model of Parkinson’s disease.
Why do research?
Simple questions drive our research projects: Why does some individuals develop dyskinesia and others do not? How is it that L-DOPA induces the same movement pattern at every administration? In some cases the abnormal movement pattern is established at the very first L-DOPA dose, does this imply that the parkinsonian brain is already primed to develop dyskinesia? Can we find endogenous compensatory mechanisms that prevent dyskinesia? Would it be possible to boost such a compensatory process and block the adverse effects of L-DOPA?
Collaborations
We are presently working together with an American research team on a project to develop a new imaging strategy, in hope to further our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of LID.
Our research activities also involves both national and international collaborations with whom we study other neurological disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, environmental toxins involved in neurodegeneration, and models of trauma to the central and peripheral nervous system.
