SUMO DEFEATS PROTEIN AGGREGATES THAT

TYPIFY PARKINSON’S DISEASE AND IMPAIRED

ACTIVITY OF THE PROTEIN MTOR A STRAIN ON THE

HEART

PLUTARCO ANDRES UZCATEGUIMEDICAL STUDENT

INTRODUCCION

Small proteins called SUMO can

be one solution for neurodegenerativ

e diseases

Some drugs used for a cancer

treatment can produce heart dysfunction

Impaired Activity of the Protein MTOR a Strain On the Heart

Drugs that inhibit the protein MTOR, which are used to treat several forms of cancer, might have adverse effects on heart function in patients with ongoing heart dysfunction.

Impaired Activity of the Protein MTOR a Strain On the Heart

It was found that adult mice lacking MTOR in their heart muscle cells developed a fatal heart condition.

Impaired Activity of the Protein MTOR a Strain On the Heart

Disease was associated with accumulation of the protein 4E-BP1, which is an inhibitor of protein generation that is normally held in check by a protein complex containing MTOR.

Impaired Activity of the Protein MTOR a Strain On the Heart

Thus, decreased MTOR activity impairs the protective heart response to stress, by enhancing 4E-BP1 activity, providing a potential new therapeutic strategy for improving heart function in patients with heart failure.

Observation

These findings, although they

appear simple, are very important when talking about future treatment of

neurodegenerative diseases. You can also change the way you

think about the disease, and

encourage the investigation

of other risk factors.

SUMO Defeats Protein Aggregates That Typify

Parkinson’s Disease Insoluble protein

clusters are the hallmarks of several neurodegenerative diseases. In PD, neurons harbor insoluble clumps of the protein alpha-synuclein.

SUMO Defeats Protein Aggregates That Typify

Parkinson’s Disease A possible clue for

PD came when researchers overexpressed alpha-synuclein in human kidney cells and found that the protein was modified by the addition of the small, ubiquitin - like molecule SUMO.

SUMO Defeats Protein Aggregates That Typify

Parkinson’s Disease Researchers tested

whether sumoylating purified alpha-synuclein hindered its clustering into fibrils, filaments similar to those detected in neurons of PD patients.

SUMO Defeats Protein Aggregates That Typify

Parkinson’s Disease After several

experiments, we found that SUMO protein binds to two sites in alpha-synuclein ant that alterations in this protein causes apoptosis in cells of the substantia nigra, as a parkinson’s disease.

Observation

There are many risk factors for heart disease, these

studies are important to minimize the risks when

administering a treatment to more

aggressive diseases. It is also important to

realize that if there are drugs that

inhibit MTOR, there may be other drugs

that inhibit other proteins and that may cause disease of

any kind.  

Medical utility

These developments are of great importance, since we find progress towards an adequate treatment of diseases very important and everyday life as parkinson’s disease and heart disease.

Medical utility

The SUMO proteins can reduce the pileups formed by the alpha-synuclein protein. The alpha-synuclein protein pileups are characteristic from some diseases like Parkinson’s disease.

Medical utility

In the near future, we can provide a better care to patients treated with MTOR inhibitor drugs, because we can take consideration whether to apply a treatment whit these drugs to patients with heart disease.

Medical utility

The study of various proteins and their function in the organism has recently been of great importance, because thanks to these advances has gained valuable information from certain treatments, which could be effective in diseases that are very important today.

Bibliography

Science. ‘’SUMO Defeats Protein Aggregates That Typify Parkinson’s Disease’’. ScienceDaily. July 15, 2011.

SScience. ‘‘Impaired Activity of the Protein MTOR a Strain on the Heart’’. ScienceDaily. July 15, 2011.

Thank you