A group of researchers from NOVA Medical School has developed a new molecule that combats neuroinflammation, a key factor in the progression of Parkinson's Disease. The NEUROSHIELD project, led by researcher Cláudia Nunes dos Santos, received a funding of 150,000 euros from the European Research Council, and was the only Portuguese project to be awarded with a Proof of Concept grant.
The preliminary results of this study showed that the molecule discovered has an anti-inflammatory effect on immune cells in the brain, which proved to be around 10 times more effective than a commercial anti-inflammatory compound. In addition to the increased efficacy, it acts through a new mechanism of action that has not yet been identified as a therapeutic target in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's Disease.
The next step in this project, which has the collaboration of ITQB NOVA for the synthesis of the compounds, will be to carry out pre-clinical toxicity tests on mice, in line with the guidelines of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
According to data from the World Health Organisation, Parkinson's Disease affects 8.5 million people worldwide, has no cure and current treatments are limited to the administration of dopamine precursors or analogues, which only relieve symptoms. Neuroinflammation contributes to the exacerbation of the disease by accelerating its progression, and there is no molecule on the market capable of combating it