How did I miss this one!?

RTP801 Is Elevated in Parkinson Brain Substantia Nigral Neurons and Mediates Death in Cellular Models of Parkinson's Disease by a Mechanism Involving Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Inactivation [mTOR]

......The mechanism by which 6-OHDA and RTP801 induce neuron death appears to involve repression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase activity, and such death is inhibited by shRNAs targeting TSC2 (tuberous sclerosis complex), a protein with which RTP801 interacts to block mTOR activation. Our findings thus suggest that the elevation of RTP801 we detect in PD substantia nigral neurons may mediate their degeneration and death and that RTP801 and its signaling cascade may be novel potential therapeutic targets for the disease.

http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content...act/26/39/9996