A new target for Parkinson's disease: Small molecule SERCA activator CDN1163 ameliorates dyskinesia in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is intimately linked to Parkinson's disease (PD) pathophysiology. Disrupted intracellular calcium homeostasis is a major cause of the ER stress seen in dopaminergic neurons, leading to the cell death and subsequent loss of movement and coordination in patients. Dysfunctional calcium handling proteins play a major role in the promulgation of ER stress in PD. Specifically, compromised sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) has been identified as a major cause of ER stress and neuron loss in PD. We have identified a small molecule activator of SERCA that increases ER calcium content, rescues neurons from ER stress-induced cell death in vitro, and shows significant efficacy in the rat 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) model of PD. Together, these results support targeting SERCA activation as a viable strategy to develop disease-modifying therapeutics for PD.