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Start of funding 01.01.2026
Dissecting Pesticide-Induced Lysosomal Dysfunction in Parkinson’s Disease: An Interdisciplinary Approach
Prof. Dr. Friederike Zunke
Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
Professorship of Translational Neuroscience
Prof. Dr. Beate Ritz
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
School of Public Health
This project investigates how pesticide exposure contributes to Parkinson’s disease by combining molecular neurobiology and epidemiology.
It focuses on lysosomal dysfunction and α-synuclein aggregation as key mechanisms of environmentally triggered neurodegeneration.
Human iPSC-derived neurons and other neuronal cell models will be used to test epidemiologically relevant pesticides.
Special emphasis is placed on lysosomal enzyme variants (e.g. GBA1) that may increase neuronal vulnerability to pesticides.
Large exposure datasets and spatiotemporal models are used to prioritize and validate the most relevant pesticide compounds.
Cellular findings are interpreted in the context of real-world exposure scenarios derived from epidemiological data.
The cooperation enables exchange of neuronal models, assays, exposure data, and analytic pipelines between participating laboratories.
Generated data will form the basis for future joint grant applications and larger-scale translational projects.
In the long term, the results aim to inform public health strategies and support preventive measures for Parkinson’s disease.