My PD Story

2026 Impact Award

Trying to Slow Parkinson’s by Targeting a New Type of Cell in the Brain

In Parkinson’s disease (PD), dopamine neurons in the brain break down over time, leading to progressively worsening symptoms. Most of these neurons affected by PD are found in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) region of the brain. However, neurons are not the only type of brain cell in this region, leading researchers to wonder if other types of brain cells may play a role in PD progression.

Nora Bengoa-Vergniory, PhD, recipient of a Parkinson’s Foundation Impact Award, will investigate if oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) could be an important go-between of PD progression in the brain. Previous research in her lab has shown that these OPCs become impaired by alpha-synuclein tangles, much like the surrounding dopamine neurons. Data suggest that OPCs could be functioning like a bridge for PD, helping to spread the tangles from one neuron to the next. If so, targeting them in new therapies could help slow PD progression.

Dr. Bengoa-Vergniory, from her lab at the Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience in Biscay, Spain, will test if a type of drug called PDGFRα inhibitors, which targets and shuts down cells like OPCs, can reduce the spread of alpha-synuclein tangles. By using OPCs and lab-grown neurons, she can quickly and efficiently observe how such treatment could be effective in the human brain.

“By defining the role of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) in Parkinson's and evaluating PDGFRα as a potential therapeutic target, this research has the potential to reveal new avenues for intervention.” – Dr. Bengoa-Vergniory

After finding which PDGFRα inhibitor is most effective at blocking OPCs, Dr. Bengoa-Vergniory will then see if such a treatment is able to reduce the spread of alpha-synuclein in mouse brains. This experiment will be performed alongside similar mice tests to confirm if OPCs play a causal role in alpha-synuclein spread from neuron to neuron.

Through this work, Dr. Bengoa-Vergniory will uncover how an understudied group of cells contribute to disease progression, with the hope of advancing PDGFRα as a druggable treatment target for PD.

“Despite Parkinson's being first described over two centuries ago, the contribution of OPCs has remained largely unexplored,” said Dr. Bengoa-Vergniory. “This funding will be crucial to enable my laboratory to address this critical gap in knowledge, contributing to the development of disease-modifying therapies that slow or halt disease progression.”

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