Innovation Consortium CureND
The Innovation Consortium CureND was startet in July 2006 through a grant from the Danish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technology. It consists of research groups from Aarhus University and Aalborg University as well as the pharmaceutical company Wyeth, with protein production provided by the service institute Bioneer. The general aim of CureND is to develop drugs to halt the progression of Parkinson’s Disease (based on an ability to halt the aggregation of α-synuclein), in parallel with the development of diagnostic approaches to identify early stage patients that may benefit particularly well from such treatment.
- Plate reader-based assays to monitor protein aggregation under conditions compatible with a High Throughput Screening.
- Proteomics-based identification of key features of early and late stage Parkinson’s Disease.
- Development and characterization of suitable cell-based models of Parkinson’s Disease.
- Brain-image analysis of Parkinson’s Disease patients to complement proteomics approaches.
Facilities
Biophysical techniques to monitor protein aggregation and protein-ligand interactions (plate readers, light scattering equipment, optical spectroscopy, quartz crystal microbalances, calorimetry).
In-depth experience of kinetic models of protein folding, misfolding and aggregation.
Proteomics facilities, including 2-D gel electrophoresis, state-of-the-art chromatography equipment and mass spectrometry.
Cell culture equipment and immunochemistry to analyze effects of protein aggregation in vivo.
Close collaboration with inSPIN centre on general aspects of protein aggregation.
Leadership
Daniel Otzen (director), biophysics of aggregation, dao@inano.dk
Peter Reinhart (vice director, Wyeth Research), HTS and drug development, reinhap@wyeth.com
Poul Henning Jensen, cellular models of Parkinson’s Disease, phj@biokemi.au.dk
Jan J. Enghild, proteomics of Parkinson’s Disease, jje@mb.au.dk
Contact
Daniel Otzen, dao@inano.dk