title: From target identification to drug screening assays for neurodegenerative diseases.
abstract: Treatment of neurodegenerative diseases represents a major challenge for the pharmaceutical industry. Key to developing novel and efficacious therapeutics is the discovery of new druggable targets. Toward this aim, the current drug discovery process is strongly relying on the improved understanding of disease mechanisms and on a synergistic approach with chemistry, molecular biology and robotics. In this scenario, we present the case of a newly discovered molecular mechanism that may be of interest for drug discovery programmes in Huntington's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zuccato
authors.forename: Marzia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tartari
authors.forename: Donato
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goffredo
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cattaneo
authors.forename: Dorotea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rigamonti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015195:Drug Design; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D000071058:Huntingtin Protein; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099229:RE1-Silencing Transcription Factor
chemical_list: D000071058:Huntingtin Protein; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000099229:RE1-Silencing Transcription Factor; C086055:HTT protein, human