Researching PREP in neurodegeneration

Our research group is studying the role of prolyl oligopeptidase (PREP, formerly known as POP) in neurodegenerative disorders with protein aggregation. These disorders involve several serious diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and several more rare neurodegenerative conditions. We want to find out if PREP enzyme inhibitors are effective in preventing toxic aggregation of aggregation-prone proteins in these disorders. To put it simply, we are trying to find novel possibilities for drug therapy in neurodegenerative disorders.