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ADIT
(‘Design of small molecule
therapeutics for the treatment of Alzheimer’s
disease based on the discovery of innovative
drug targets’) is an integrated
project supported by the European Commission
under the 6th framework program. It
comprises eight European partner institutions
and is coordinated by Siena Biotech.
ADIT aims at the development to the
preclinical stage of novel chemical
entities endowed with specific neuroprotective
activity in Alzheimer’s disease
(Aß) and capitalizes on the most widely
accepted view on the etiology of AD,
the ‘amyloidocentric hypothesis’.
Hence, a validated in vitro model of
amyloid-b (Aß) mediated neurotoxicity
constitutes the basis for unravelling
early, initial responses of neurons
to the toxic stimulus.
The application of proteomics and transcriptomics
methodologies focuses on the analysis
of differential protein phosphorylation
in order to identify signal transduction
components and on the investigation
of the first wave of transcriptional
responses. Sophisticated bioinformatics
will be employed to merge proteomics
and transcriptomics data into a coherent
view of Ab-mediated signal transduction
in neurons generating a ‘pathopathway’
of AD for the identification of proteins
involved in Ab-mediated neurodegeneration.
The further validation of such proteins
will employ a stringent and efficient
series of target validation experiments
in systems of increasing physiological
relevance. Thus, in vitro, in vivo and
ex vivo experiments will lead to a number
of validated drug targets for bioassay
design and lead discovery. |
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Click here to connect to ADIT website  |
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