The project combines ZeClinics' in vivo drug screening, Celtarys' fluorescent tools, and USC-Biofarma's in vitro screening expertise.
ZeClinics is part of the project "Development of new drugs for the treatment of Parkinson's through Artificial Intelligence and massive screening of compounds," presented by AseBio as an Innovative Business Group (AEI). The project also involves Celtarys Research and the Biofarma group at the University of Santiago de Compostela, with a budget of 147,000 euros.
The support program for AEI aims to improve the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises. The latest call was launched by the Ministry of Industry in April 2023, with a budget of 54 million euros from the Next Generation funds (46,440,000 euros) and the General State Budget (7,560,000 euros).
Why does ZeClinics commit to Parkinson's research?
Parkinson's disease represents the second most common neurodegenerative disease in industrialized countries after Alzheimer's disease. Its manifestation consists of symptoms related to the autonomic nervous system. Patients experience involuntary or uncontrollable movements, tremors, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. To date, there are only drugs to alleviate symptoms once the disease is diagnosed, but there are no drugs that address the causes of the disease or help prevent it. In this context, this study framed within Line 3 of "Digital Technologies Projects" aims to identify new therapeutic molecules to treat Parkinson's disease.
To achieve this goal, ZeClinics is committed to providing its expertise in target validation and in vivo drug screening, propelling the project forward. Partnering with Celtarys Research's innovative approach to fluorescent tools and USC-Biofarma's cutting-edge in vitro screening capabilities, our mission is to uncover new drugs for Parkinson's and revolutionize collaborative drug discovery across various diseases.
"This project is key to transforming the knowledge acquired through the use of zebrafish into assets with high therapeutic and market value," concludes Javier Terriente, co-founder of ZeClinics.
Aid granted by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism within the support program for AEIs to contribute to the improvement of the competitiveness of the Spanish industry, with the support of the European Union through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
