Polygence Scholar2023
Brandon Pang
Class of 2026Sunnyvale, CA
About
Hi! My name is Brandon Pang and my Polygence project is on Parkinson's Disease. I chose to work on this project because PD is a disease that directly affects my family. I want to research current and new treatments or take a deep dive into the disease process to learn more about PD. After my project is complete, I would like to publish a paper and use it as a starting point for future research.Projects
- "A potential disease-modifying gene therapy for treatment of Parkinson's Disease, specifically looking at GDNF" with mentor Maria (Sept. 5, 2023)
Project Portfolio
A potential disease-modifying gene therapy for treatment of Parkinson's Disease, specifically looking at GDNF
Started Mar. 3, 2023
Abstract or project description
This project will identify either one specific gene therapy target, or address a specific variant of genes (ie neurotrophic factors). It will work off of existing studies, identifying more recent clinical trials and other findings from the past few years. One target of interest is GDNF, a neurotrophic factor that protects dopaminergic neurons. It has already been shown effective, but would be interesting to see how it has progressed over the years. If it is already highly discussed/finalized, it may be worth identifying a novel target. We will look at current and new delivery systems including AAVs and nanoparticles that may improve trial outcomes.