Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative syndrome involving multiple motor and non-motor symptoms; among the motors are bradykinesia, stiffness, and tremor, while non-motor symptoms include intestinal- and olfactory- dysfunctions, which, however, are not unique to PD. Despite advancements in understanding the PD mechanisms effective disease modifying therapies remain elusive. Lowering alpha-syn aggregation is considered a promising therapeutic approach to prevent or treat PD. Consequently, PD research focuses on biomolecules that could be useful as inhibitors of alpha-syn directly or through other mechanisms. The group of Professor Cristina Cocco, enhanced knowledge of the changes in levels of VGF in blood as potential biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases, especially in PD, and submitted a patent for a VGF C-treminal peptides as diagnostic tools. There are no studies focusing on potential neuroprotective role of VGF peptides in PD.

The main objective is to find VGF peptides as potential protective agents against neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease. This goal is subdivided into subobjectives as follows :

• Determine whether certain VGF peptides can cross the brain barrier when administered intranasally;
• Determine whether certain VGF peptides can prevent alpha-syn aggregation using the T assay;
• Determine whether certain VGF peptides can shield cells from death in in vitro experiments;
• Determine whether certain VGF peptides can prevent neurodegeneration in in vivo experiments (using an animal model based on intranasal injection of Rotenone).