High-throughput behavioral screen in C. elegans reveals novel Parkinson disease drug candidates

Abstract

We recently linked branched-chain amino acid transferase 1 (BCAT1) with the movement disorder Parkinsons disease (PD), and found that reduction of C. elegans bcat-1 causes abnormal spasm-like curling behavior with age. Here, we report the development of a high-throughput automated curling assay and its application to the discovery of new potential PD therapeutics. Four FDA-approved drugs were identified as candidates for late-in-life intervention, with metformin showing the greatest promise for repurposing to PD.