Protein Chimera-based Ca2+ Rewiring as a Treatment Modality for Neurodegeneration

Abstract

Calcium is a versatile signaling molecule; a key regulator of an array of diverse cellular processes ranging from transcription to motility to apoptosis. It plays a critical role in neuronal signal transmission and energy metabolism through specialized mechanisms. Dysregulation of the Ca2+ signaling pathways has been linked to major psychiatric diseases. Here, we focus on molecular psychiatry, exploring the role of calcium signaling in neurological disease development and aggravation, specifically in Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s diseases. Understanding the molecular underpinnings helps us first to identify common mechanistic patterns, and second to develop targeted therapeutics for symptom alleviation. Specifically, we propose potential protein-level hallmarks of dysregulation that can be targeted using calcium-based chimeras (synthetic fusions of unrelated modular proteins) for localized pharmacotherapy.