PArkin Co-Regulated Gene (PACRG), parkin and Parkinsonism.

帕金森病（PD）是一种常见的神经退行性疾病，影响超过2%的65岁以上的人。这种疾病的特征是震颤、运动缓慢、僵硬和姿势不稳定。目前的治疗方案可以提供某种程度的症状缓解，但目前没有治疗方法来停止或减缓这种使人衰弱的疾病的进展。PD目前在澳大利亚影响约35，000人，预计随着人口老龄化，这一数字将显着增加。PD是一种复杂的疾病，病因和发病机制尚不清楚。然而，在过去的10年中，已经确定了几个基因，当被破坏时可以导致PD。我们已经发现了一个新的基因，我们相信它可能与PD有关。该提案的总体目标是阐明该基因及其在PD发展中的作用。了解该基因的表达和功能可能会大大促进我们对这种疾病的理解。利用这些结果，我们的目标是在细胞和动物系统中模拟帕金森病;这些可能为PD中受干扰的分子途径提供强有力的见解，并为开发新的治疗方法以减轻或预防这种疾病提供了一种手段。

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder affecting greater than two percent of individuals over the age of 65. The disease is characterised by tremor, slowness of movement, rigidity and postural instability. Current treatment regimes may provide some measure of symptomatic relief, but currently there is no treatment to halt or slow the progression of this debilitating disease. PD currently affects an estimated 35,000 people in Australia and this figure is predicted to increase significantly as the population ages. PD is a complex disorder, the causes and disease mechanisms are not well understood. However, in the past 10 years several genes have been identified that can cause PD when disrupted. We have identified a new gene that we believe may be involved in PD. The overall aim of this proposal is to characterise this gene and what role it plays in the development of PD. Understanding the expression and function of this gene may significantly advance our understanding of this disorder. Using these results, we aim to model Parkinson's disease in cellular and animal systems; these may provide powerful insight into the molecular pathway(s) perturbed in PD and a means to develop novel therapeutic approaches to alleviate or prevent the disorder.