MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (04/14/2025) — Aging is the most important risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease. However, the connection between aging and Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases is not fully understood. Studies show that a cellular process — known as cellular senescence — is a major driver of the harmful effects of aging.
A collaborative team of researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School and Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan, recently received a two-year, $5.8 million grant from the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) initiative in partnership with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. The research team will examine if cellular senescence is linked to the onset and progression of Parkinson’s disease.
“Aging’s role in Parkinson’s disease is a great scientific mystery. Our work shows that Parkinson’s pathology and senescence amplify one another,” said Michael Lee, PhD, professor of Neuroscience and Institute for Translational Neuroscience Scholar at the University of Minnesota Medical School. “We believe our work will not only lead to a deeper understanding of Parkinson’s disease, but may establish senescence as a novel target to treat Parkinson’s disease.”
The research project has been ongoing since 2020, and this new funding will extend the study to a new phase. Team Lee will continue this work as part of ASAP’s Collaborative Research Network, an international, multidisciplinary, and multi-institutional network of collaborating investigators who are working to accelerate the pace of discovery for Parkinson’s disease and drive new ideas into the research and development pipeline.
“Aging is a nuanced, complex process that likely increases Parkinson’s risk in many different ways. By detangling these important threads, we hope to find new ways to slow disease progression. We are grateful to ASAP for its support and excited to continue this collaborative work,” said Darren Moore, PhD, the Jay Van Andel Endowed Chair in Parkinson’s Disease Research at Van Andel Institute.
The research team aims to:
- Define the molecular changes associated with Parkinson’s disease in models of senescence
- Define, via genetic approaches, cause and effect relationships between Parkinson’s disease-associated neurodegeneration and senescence
- Determine the common pathogenic pathways in senescence models
The study combines four labs — two Medical School faculty labs led by Dr. Lee and Laura Niedernhofer, MD, PhD, director of the Masonic Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism; and two VAI Department of Neurodegenerative Science faculty labs led by Dr. Moore, and associate professor Mike Henderson, PhD.
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About the University of Minnesota Medical School
The University of Minnesota Medical School is at the forefront of learning and discovery, transforming medical care and educating the next generation of physicians. Our graduates and faculty produce high-impact biomedical research and advance the practice of medicine. We acknowledge that the U of M Medical School is located on traditional, ancestral and contemporary lands of the Dakota and the Ojibwe, and scores of other Indigenous people, and we affirm our commitment to tribal communities and their sovereignty as we seek to improve and strengthen our relations with tribal nations. For more information about the U of M Medical School, please visit med.umn.edu.
About Van Andel Institute
Van Andel Institute (VAI) is committed to improving the health and enhancing the lives of current and future generations through cutting edge biomedical research and innovative educational offerings. Established in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1996 by the Van Andel family, VAI is now home to more than 500 scientists, educators and support staff, who work with a growing number of national and international collaborators to foster discovery. The Institute’s scientists study the origins of cancer, Parkinson’s and other diseases and translate their findings into breakthrough prevention and treatment strategies. Our educators develop inquiry-based approaches for K–12 education to help students and teachers prepare the next generation of problem-solvers, while our Graduate School offers a rigorous, research-intensive Ph.D. program in molecular and cellular biology. Learn more at vai.org.