Drug Discovery and Development

  • Home Drug Discovery and Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • Women in Pharma and Biotech
  • Oncology
  • Neurological Disease
  • Infectious Disease
  • Resources
    • Video features
    • Podcast
    • Voices
    • Webinars
  • Pharma 50
    • 2025 Pharma 50
    • 2024 Pharma 50
    • 2023 Pharma 50
    • 2022 Pharma 50
    • 2021 Pharma 50
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE

Scientists find new potential drug targets for neurodegenerative diseases

By Brian Buntz | February 11, 2022

Franco Lab

Maria Clara “Maca” Franco, center, with Kyle Nguyen, left, and Lydia Bastian. Franco’s research investigates neurodegenerative diseases. Image courtesy of Oregon State University.

Researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) have discovered a new class of potential drug targets for diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The scientists are working to identify the best method to attack the targets — oxidized proteins. The most potent oxidant of the bunch is peroxynitrite, which is produced in conditions involving inflammation. Oxidized proteins and free radicals can damage DNA, lipids and proteins implicated in neurodegenerative diseases and other conditions.

Peroxynitrite is produced thanks to the diffusion-limited reaction of nitric oxide and superoxide.

Peroxynitrite appears to be especially pernicious when it oxidizes heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), leading to signal activation that results in apoptosis or cell death.

The peroxynitrite ion plays a role in neuronal death in various central nervous system conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury.

“Now we know that the oxidation of different parts of Hsp90 can elicit different toxic functions in the protein,” said Maria Clara Franco, an assistant professor at OSU.

“By understanding the ways that oxidation modifies the Hsp90 structure and how the oxidized protein works in the cells, we can look for drugs that bind to the modified structure of Hsp90 and stop its toxic function without affecting the activity of normal Hsp90 in healthy tissues,” Franco said in a statement. “That means such drugs should have minimal to no side effects.”

The researchers had concluded that peroxynitrite was implicated in the death of motor neurons.

Their research was published in Redox Biology.

A separate group of researchers at Oregon State University recently found that certain cannabinoids may protect against COVID-19 infection. 


Filed Under: Neurological Disease
Tagged With: ALS, Alzheimer’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases, Oregon State University, Parkinson's
 

About The Author

Brian Buntz

As the pharma and biotech editor at WTWH Media, Brian has almost two decades of experience in B2B media, with a focus on healthcare and technology. While he has long maintained a keen interest in AI, more recently Brian has made making data analysis a central focus, and is exploring tools ranging from NLP and clustering to predictive analytics.

Throughout his 18-year tenure, Brian has covered an array of life science topics, including clinical trials, medical devices, and drug discovery and development. Prior to WTWH, he held the title of content director at Informa, where he focused on topics such as connected devices, cybersecurity, AI and Industry 4.0. A dedicated decade at UBM saw Brian providing in-depth coverage of the medical device sector. Engage with Brian on LinkedIn or drop him an email at bbuntz@wtwhmedia.com.

Related Articles Read More >

Human study tracks brain’s glymphatic flow in real time, opening Alzheimer’s drug avenues
An 8-year-old patient with gangliosidosis demonstrates improved mobility, walking unassisted on a soccer field after treatment with N-acetyl-L-leucine. (Still from video footage; parental consent obtained for use).
Modified amino acid approved for Niemann–Pick shows promise in early Parkinson’s research
AI-guided hunt points to PHGDH as an upstream drug target in Alzheimer’s disease
Why smaller, simpler molecular glues are gaining attention in drug discovery
“ddd
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest news and trends happening now in the drug discovery and development industry.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
Drug Discovery and Development
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • Medtech100 Index
  • Medical Design Sourcing
  • Medical Design & Outsourcing
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Subscribe to our E-Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • R&D World
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Drug Discovery & Development

  • Home Drug Discovery and Development
  • Drug Discovery
  • Women in Pharma and Biotech
  • Oncology
  • Neurological Disease
  • Infectious Disease
  • Resources
    • Video features
    • Podcast
    • Voices
    • Webinars
  • Pharma 50
    • 2025 Pharma 50
    • 2024 Pharma 50
    • 2023 Pharma 50
    • 2022 Pharma 50
    • 2021 Pharma 50
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE