Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are characterized by the progressive degeneration of neurons. Phenotypic neuroprotection assays mimic different conditions of the disease (incorporating genetic mutations, protein aggregates or environmental stressors) and are valuable tools to identify novel therapeutic interventions for these disorders.

At Welab, our phenotypic assays evaluate the ability of potential therapeutic compounds to protect neurons from the toxic effects of various insults, such as oxidative stress, protein misfolding, glutamate excitotoxicity or inflammation. Unlike target-based drug discovery, which focuses on specific molecules involved in disease pathways, these phenotypic assays allow us to explore a more global approach by assessing a compound’s overall impact on multiple neuronal functions such as viability, neuronal morphology, protein aggregation and synaptic function.