December 5, 2002
- Out
of Africa
As a college student, Tukufu Zuberi was involved in the heady early days of Afro-American studies. Now, he sees equally exciting times ahead as Penn's program enters its fourth decade.
- A new learning hub on campus makes three
- Pleased to meet you, Sir
- Get a grip on stress and your career with HR's help
- Tiny tot robocop
- Out
and About: On and off Walnut Street
- Event Listings
- Editor's Pick: One world, one hope
- More holiday shopping tips
- People's Choice: Coming attractions
PARKINSON'S
Hope for new drug
BY ELAINE WILNER
Nancy Bonini, a professor of biology, and her colleagues are using fruit flies to investigate Parkinson’s disease, the second most common human neurodegenerative disorder. They found that medication prevented the onset of a similar disorder in genetically-predisposed Drosophila melanogaster.
As in humans, a protein implicated in the onset of Parkinson’s disease causes neuronal loss in fruit flies too. Bonini and biology graduate student Pavan K. Auluck focused their research on a class of proteins called molecular chaperones. They used a naturally occurring antibiotic called geldanamycin to boost the activity of these proteins and showed that it blocked the progression of neurodegenerative disease in Drosophila.
Their work has opened a new window for researchers searching for drugs that can prevent diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. “Our studies suggest that a new class of drugs might prevent neurodegenerative disorders by fortifying these neurons even before the onset of disease,” said Bonini.
 |
 |
 |