Project: Transfer of misfolded protein as a pathogenetic mechanism in neurodegenerative disease.

This international network will provide both an intellectual and a methodological platform that will contribute to the elucidation of key factors in the pathogenesis and etiology of progressive neurodegenerative disorders. In particular, our multidisciplinary program will emphasize bridges between different research fields serving as a solid foundation for clinical and translational research on Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s Diseases and MSA. This initiative gathers research groups with quite diverse technological and research expertise, giving the project both a multinational and a multidisciplinary character. The concerted action of basic neuroscientists, protein-folding experts, clinical geneticists and cellular biologists (from 3 different European Members), is a requirement for the achievement of our goals. Our recent work showing for the first time that Parkinson's disease-associated pathology can be transmitted from cell to cell has opened the way for new concepts in the development of treatments against the disease. It is our intention to explore this new line of work on two of the most common neurodegenerative disorders and expect that these concepts will also be applicable to other diseases. Since the targeted mechanism is directly involved in the progression of the disease, we believe that our findings will serve as the basis for designing of novel therapies, having a major impact on the future of the treatment of these diseases.

Acronym	MIPROTRAN
Duration	27/01/2009 - 26/01/2012
Network	NEURON
Call	NEURON-2008 Neurodegeneration

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
1	Lund University	Coordinator	Sweden
2	Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique	Partner	France
3	University Tuebingen	Partner	Germany
4	University Tuebingen	Partner	Germany