We are very proud to announce, that with the financial support of the Nina Foundation the research team at the Erasmus university has been able to start research on the effect of “Levodopa” on mice. The funding (€5000) is by far not enough and only for the initial start up. In order to  continue a lot of additional funding is needed. Heading this research will be Geeske van Woerden.

Levodopa is a promising drug for a therapy of the Angelman Syndrome. There have already been some case reports of the drug with positive effects in the past. These trials are now to be applied to a mouse that has also the Angelman syndrome. The benefit being, that the underlying mechanism can be investigated. 

The usage of levodopa as a drug is especially interesting, because with the understanding of the blocked CaM-Kinase in Angelman Syndrome, new theories have evolved about the working of the drug.

Levodopa is administered to increase the amount of dopamine in the brains of patients with diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Dopa-Responsive dystonia, L-DOPA (levodopa). Levodopa is the precursor of dopamine, can be given, because it can cross the blood-brain barrier, whereas dopamine itself can not. Dopamine is a hormone and neurotransmitter occurring in a wide variety of animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, dopamine functions as a neurotransmitter.