Rachel Foguth

Current Research Interests:

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. Much research has been done on genetic mutations that lead to PD; however, less than ten percent of cases are known to be caused by genetic factors. Therefore, research has started focusing on gene-environment interactions, where a genetic component would make a person more prone to the disease, and an environmental exposure tips the scale, leading to disease onset. My research is focusing on a class of chemicals, called heterocyclic amines, which are present in the diet, especially in things like overcooked or charred meat, coffee, tobacco products, and certain types of alcohol. Our lab has previous research that has shown these compounds are toxic specifically to dopaminergic neurons, those affected in PD, in primary midbrain cultures. Therefore, I am using in vivo and in vitro methods to determine whether these compounds can cause Parkinsonian-type motor deficits and pathology in animals, such as lesions in the substantia nigra, decreased axonal projections from dopaminergic neurons from the substantia nigra, and changes in dopamine levels or dopamine metabolism. Besides determining if these chemicals can produce Parkinson’s disease models, I am also using in vitro research to elucidate the mechanism of toxicity of these compounds. Because they are structurally very similar to MPTP, a contaminant of street drugs that is known to cause Parkinson’s disease through inhibition of mitochondrial complex I, I hypothesized, that mitochondrial dysfunction is occurring. Determining the mechanism of toxicity of these compounds could reveal pathways for potential therapeutic targets to combat PD.