Center Affiliation and Expertise: Systemic and Redox Toxicology Thematic Area, Inflammation and Innate Immunity Thematic Area
Dr. Kanthasamy’s research team has been at the forefront of unraveling the cell signaling mechanisms underlying key pathophysiological processes of PD, including mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, protein aggregation, exosome trafficking, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis. His lab recently discovered a novel mechanism involving epigenetic modifications in pesticide-induced neurotoxicity models. In terms of translational research, they have been testing the efficacy of several small bioactive molecules, including mitochondria-targeted antioxidants and cell signaling modulators, against select therapeutic targets in various experimental models of PD, such as MPTP, 6-OHDA, and transgenic MitoPark mouse models, to advance them for further preclinical and clinical evaluations.