Published in Communications Chemistry (Nature Portfolio)
A detailed mathematical model describing both pure protein and lipid-mediated aggregation pathways of alpha-synuclein (aSyn)—a key protein involved in the onset and progression of Parkinson’s disease was published in Communications Chemistry (Nature Portfolio) by COSBI PhD student Elena Righetti, in collaboration with Luca Marchetti, Enrico Domenici and Federico Reali. The model integrates data from in vitro experiments under physiologically relevant conditions and provides a computational framework for exploring how different molecular mechanisms contribute to the formation of toxic intermediates and fibrils.
By capturing the interplay between lipidic environments and alpha-synuclein dynamics, the model allows for in silico hypothesis testing and supports the identification of potential targets for anti-aggregation therapies.
This work is part of COSBI’s ongoing research in quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP) for neurodegenerative diseases, with the aim of bridging molecular-level mechanisms and system-level outcomes to inform therapeutic development.
Read the full article here.
