Drug Discovery & Development
Collection of Drosophila Mutants with Neurodegenerative Effects
WARF: P02000US
Inventors: Barry Ganetzky, Michael Palladino, Robert Kreber
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) is seeking commercial partners interested in a collection of Drosophila mutants with obvious and distinct neurodegeneration.
Overview
Few treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, have been discovered. In many cases, the molecular basis for neurodegeneration remains unknown. Animal models might be useful for identifying new therapies, but few animal models for these diseases currently are available.
Drosophila commonly are used as model organisms. As many as 70 percent of human disease genes have homologues in Drosophila, making these organisms useful for identifying particular disease genes as well as subsequent assays for drug development.
Drosophila commonly are used as model organisms. As many as 70 percent of human disease genes have homologues in Drosophila, making these organisms useful for identifying particular disease genes as well as subsequent assays for drug development.
The Invention
UW-Madison researchers have compiled a collection of mutant Drosophila with obvious and distinct neurodegeneration. Each of these mutants has a defect in a single gene. They could be used to identify novel drug targets for neurodegenerative diseases.
Applications
- Screening programs aimed at identifying novel pharmaceutical agents and drug targets in an in vivo biological system
- Functional genomic studies to identify novel genes involved in neural function and disease
- An experimental model for human neurodegenerative disorders
Key Benefits
- Provides a good animal model for neurodegenerative diseases
Additional Information
For More Information About the Inventors
Related Technologies
For current licensing status, please contact Jennifer Gottwald at [javascript protected email address] or 608-960-9854