CHARACTERIZATION OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE GENE DJ-1/PARK7 IN CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ REGULATORY T-CELLS

Doctoral thesis (2017)

DJ-1, also known as PARK7, as its name suggests, is one of the familial Parkinson’s disease (PD) genes. Defects in human DJ-1 are the cause of autosomal recessive early-onset PD. DJ-1 is a redox ... [more ▼]

DJ-1, also known as PARK7, as its name suggests, is one of the familial Parkinson’s disease (PD) genes. Defects in human DJ-1 are the cause of autosomal recessive early-onset PD. DJ-1 is a redox-responsive protein and is long thought to mainly play an essential protective role in neurons. DJ-1 is ubiquitously expressed throughout the body rather than only in brain and is involved in several biological functions. We here seek to characterize a novel role of DJ-1 in regulatory T cells, currently recognized as CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ regulatory T-cells (Tregs), which are well-known immune suppressor cells in many peripheral diseases and emerging to play a role in several neurodegenerative diseases. [less ▲]