Research team wins grant to study Parkinson’s genetics in mice
University of Minnesota team to join international network
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- A University of Minnesota team received a $6M grant for Parkinson's disease genetic research.
- Researchers will create mouse models with human genetic variants linked to Parkinson's.
- These models aim to help scientists understand disease mechanisms and test potential new therapies.
A University of Minnesota Medical School team has received a $6 million grant to design mouse models for the study of genetic variants linked to Parkinson’s disease.
“These models could help us better understand how Parkinson’s disease works and support testing of potential therapies in early stages of research,” Michael Koob, PhD, a professor at the medical school and the leader of the team, said in a university news story.
The grant, from Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) and The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF), also enables the team to join the Collaborative Research Network (CRN), a network that develops datasets, techniques, and other resources for Parkinson’s research.
Parkinson’s is a neurological condition that occurs when nerve cells that produce the signaling molecule dopamine die. The underlying causes of Parkinson’s cell death aren’t completely understood, although scientists believe there may be a genetic component. Several genetic mutations have been linked to the risk of Parkinson’s, particularly early-onset Parkinson’s, in which symptoms appear before age 50.
“We still do not fully understand how Parkinson’s disease develops and progresses, and we don’t have effective treatments for preventing or slowing the progression of this disease,” Koob said. “We are excited to join the global research network built by ASAP and MJFF to help address these questions through team-based collaboration and open science.”
Researchers to study how disease varies
ASAP and MJFF developed the CRN to foster the international exchange of scientific ideas and spur progress in Parkinson’s research. From 2020 to 2025, CRN teams investigated the mechanisms of Parkinson’s development and progression. They developed new, openly accessible tools to support future research worldwide.
For its next phase, the organization will continue this research with a focus on variation among individuals with Parkinson’s.
“This work aims to support the entire field by delivering the standardized, open-access tools needed to make Parkinson’s research more reliable and efficient,” said Sonya Dumanis, PhD, managing director of ASAP. “Generating these shared toolkits for our emerging targets is a vital step toward streamlining our research pipeline and speeding up the transition from lab to clinic.”
Koob’s team will contribute to this work by developing mouse models with genetic variants linked to Parkinson’s in humans. Koob pioneered a technique to replace mouse genes with corresponding human DNA segments in living animals. His group will use this method to replace specific mouse genes with human versions linked to the disease.
If the project is successful, these animals will give researchers the opportunity to isolate each gene’s contribution to Parkinson’s. It could also provide a way to test potential Parkinson’s treatments preclinically.
“We look forward to applying our expertise in building precision-engineered cell systems to provide essential research tools for these global efforts,” Koob said.
The funding round added 32 new teams, including Koob’s, to the CRN. In total, this represented a $261 million investment in Parkinson’s research.
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