Neuroprotective activity of JM-20 in preclinical models of Parkinson's disease
Keywords:
α-synuclein; mitochondrial dysfunction; Parkinson's disease; oxidative stress and JM-20Abstract
Introduction: JM-20 is a hybrid molecule obtained through chemical synthesis, which has undergone several preclinical trials that validate its therapeutic potential as a disease-modifying drug for Parkinson's disease. The complexity and multiplicity of the pathophysiological events associated with this disease are at the heart of the challenges posed by the development of effective treatments that reverse, halt, or slow the course of neurodegeneration.
Objective: To show the basis for the development of a new therapeutic candidate for patients with Parkinson's disease.
Methods: In vitro, in silico and in vivo studies, as well as a correlation between morphological and molecular variables with motor behavior were carried out to evaluate the effect of JM-20 on α-synuclein and in models of neurotoxin-induced parkinsonism.
Results: The results showed a clear protective effect of JM-20 in different cellular models related to Parkinson's disease. In addition, in silico docking and dynamics studies demonstrated that JM-20 interacts with α-synuclein, inducing the formation of non-toxic oligomers of the protein. In animal models, JM-20, at oral doses of 40 mg/kg, prevented the behavioral damage characteristic of the neurotoxic models used. Furthermore, ex vivo studies in rat brains confirmed that intragastric administration of JM-20 improved oxidative parameters in the substantia nigra and striatum.
Conclusions: This review provides pharmacological evidence of the neuroprotective activity of this new molecule, supporting its usefulness for the development of new anti-Parkinson's drugs.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Luis Arturo Fonseca Fonseca, Nancy Pavón Fuentes , Jeney Ramírez Sánchez, Alejandro Saúl Padrón Yaquis , Tiago Fleming Outeiro, Estael Ochoa Rodríguez , Yamila Verdecia Reyes , Abel Mondenlo Rodríguez , Víctor Diogenes Amaral da Silva , Silvia Lima Costa , Yanier Núñez Figueredo

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