缅北禁地

Dr Marzena Kurzawa-Akanbi is a Lecturer in Regenerative Medicine and Principal Investigator in Molecular Neuroscience at 缅北禁地’s Biosciences Institute. She obtained BSc and MSc degrees in Biotechnology and Molecular Biology from the University of Warsaw, Poland, and completed her PhD in Human/Medical Genetics at 缅北禁地 in 2011.

Following her PhD, she undertook over 12 years of postdoctoral research at 缅北禁地 as a Research Associate and Senior Research Associate, focusing on neurodegenerative disorders, particularly within the Lewy body disease spectrum. This work, supported in part by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, established her long-standing research interest in extracellular vesicles (EVs). During this period, within Prof. Majlinda Lako’s laboratory, she developed expertise in induced pluripotent stem cell–based disease modelling and applied these approaches to the study of EV-mediated mechanisms in age-related macular degeneration.

Appointed Lecturer in 2024, Dr Kurzawa-Akanbi leads an independent research programme investigating molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative and ocular diseases, the translational application of EVs as a biomarkers' source, and bioengineering strategies to improve their detection. She has also led early conceptual work on EV-based diagnostic approaches, including research that informed a 缅北禁地-linked liquid biopsy initiative in this space.

Our research focuses on developing innovative approaches to detect and understand Lewy body disorders, including Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. We combine expertise in biomarker discovery, extracellular vesicle biology, and advanced materials to identify toxic forms of alpha-synuclein and explore their presence in accessible body fluids. By integrating molecular and biophysical analysis of extracellular vesicles with the development of novel detection tools such as molecularly imprinted polymers, we aim to enable earlier diagnosis and improve disease monitoring. We are actively seeking collaborations with academic and industry partners to translate these advances into robust diagnostic platforms and therapeutic strategies.

Key research projects:

Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) for the Detection of Alpha-synuclein Toxic Species Associated with the Pathology of Parkinson’s Disease and Dementia with Lewy Bodies.

Collaboration with Dr Jake McClements (School of Engineering) and Dr Othman Almusaimi (School of Pharmacy).

Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies are among the most common neurodegenerative conditions, and their prevalence is rising rapidly. Together, they are often referred to as Lewy body disorders because they share a defining feature: the presence of Lewy bodies in the brain. These structures are abnormal clumps that form within nerve cells, and are thought to develop as a protective response to the build-up of harmful substances.

A key component of Lewy bodies is the protein alpha-synuclein. In disease, this protein changes shape and begins to cluster, forming both small assemblies and larger aggregates. Research indicates that the smaller assemblies are particularly toxic to nerve cells, making them an important focus for new therapies, early diagnostic tools, and studies into disease progression. However, current approaches to detecting these harmful forms rely on antibodies, which are difficult to produce with the level of specificity needed for such complex targets.

This project introduces an alternative strategy: the use of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) to detect toxic alpha-synuclein assemblies. MIPs are synthetic materials engineered with precise binding sites that match a target molecule, similar to a lock-and-key interaction. Often described as “plastic antibodies,” they are easier to manufacture, more consistent in performance, and can be tailored to recognise a broader range of targets. As a result, MIPs offer strong potential as a reliable and effective tool for detecting toxic forms of alpha-synuclein.

Extracellular vesicles as a source of biomarkers for Lewy body disorders.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are tiny, naturally occurring particles released by cells throughout the body. Found in fluids such as blood, saliva, and cerebrospinal fluid, they carry molecular signals that reflect the state of our health and can reveal early signs of disease.

Over the past decade, research has highlighted the diagnostic potential of EVs. Our team has demonstrated that EVs isolated from human brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid contain biomarkers associated with Lewy body pathology—the defining feature of Lewy body disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, Parkinson’s disease dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies (Kurzawa-Akanbi et al., Acta Neuropathologica, 2021).

In addition to analysing their molecular cargo, we also investigate the biophysical properties of EVs—such as their surface characteristics—which may provide further insight into disease processes and improve biomarker detection.

Building on this work, we are developing highly sensitive methods to detect these biomarkers in more accessible body fluids such as blood and saliva. Currently, Lewy body disorders are typically diagnosed only after symptoms emerge, by which point substantial and irreversible brain damage has already occurred. However, it is now well established that the disease process can begin 10–20 years before symptoms become apparent.

Because EVs offer a window into the brain’s biological activity, they hold significant promise for enabling much earlier and more accurate diagnosis.

Our goal is to develop an EV-based “liquid biopsy” for Lewy body disorders—supporting early detection, timely intervention, and improved outcomes for patients and their families.

BMS3003 Business Enterprise for the Bioscientist - Module Facilitator and Assessor

• Articles

  • Tsikandelova R, Galo E, Cerniauskas E, Hallam D, Georgiou M, Cerna-Chavez R, Atkinson R, Palmowski P, Burte F, Davies T, Steel DH, McKibbin M, Bond J, Haggarty J, Whitfield P, Korolchuk V, Armstrong L, Yang C, Dorgau B, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Lako M. . Stem Cell Reports 2024, 19(8), 1107-1121.
  • Atkinson R, Georgiou M, Yang C, Szymanska K, Lahat A, Vasconcelos EJR, Ji Y, Moya Molina M, Collin J, Queen R, Dorgau B, Watson A, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Laws R, Saxena A, Shyan Beh C, Siachisumo C, Goertler F, Karwatka M, Davey T, Inglehearn CF, McKibbin M, Luhrmann R, Steel DH, Elliott DJ, Armstrong L, Urlaub H, Ali RR, Grellscheid S-N, Johnson CA, Mozaffari-Jovin S, Lako M. . Nature Communications 2024, 15(1), 3138.
  • Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Whitfield P, Burte F, Bertelli PM, Pathak V, Doherty M, Hilgen B, Gliaudelyte L, Platt M, Queen R, Coxhead J, Porter A, Oberg M, Fabrikova D, Davey T, Beh CS, Georgiou M, Collin J, Boczonadi V, Hartlova A, Taggart M, Al-Aama J, Korolchuk VI, Morris CM, Guduric-Fuchs J, Steel DH, Medina RJ, Armstrong L, Lako M. . Journal of Extracellular Vesicles 2022, 11(12), 12295.
  • Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Keogh M, Tsefou E, Ramsay L, Johnson M, Keers S, Ochieng LW, McNair A, Singh P, Khan A, Pyle A, Hudson G, Ince PG, Attems J, Burn J, Chinnery PF, Morris CM. . Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 2021, 47(1), 26-42.
  • Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Tammireddy S, Fabrik I, Gliaudelyte L, Doherty MK, Heap R, Matecko-Burmann I, Burmann BM, Trost M, Lucocq JM, Gherman AV, Fairfoul G, Singh P, Burte F, Green A, McKeith IG, Härtlova A, Whitfield PD, Morris CM. . Acta Neuropathologica 2021, 142, 961-984.
  • Lowes H, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Pyle A, Hudson G. . Scientific Reports 2020, 10, 15253.
  • Cerniauskas E, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Xie L, Hallam D, Moya-Molina M, White K, Steel D, Doherty M, Whitfield P, Al-Aama J, Armstrong L, Kavanagh D, Lambris J, Korolchuk V, Harris C, Lako M. . Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2020, 9(12), 1585-1603.
  • Kolli S, Bojic S, Ghareeb AE, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Figueiredo FC, Lako M. . Stem Cells 2019, 37(1).
  • Outeiro TF, Koss DJ, Erskine D, Walker L, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Burn DJ, Donaghy P, Morris CM, Taylor JP, Thomas AJ, Attems J, McKeith IG. . Molecular Neurodegeneration 2019, 14, 5.
  • Jonikas M, Madill M, Mathy A, Zekoll T, Zois CE, Wigfield S, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Browne C, Sims D, Chinnery PF, Cowley SA, Tofaris GK. . Annals of Neurology 2018, 83(5), 915-925.
  • Wei W, Keogh MJ, Wilson I, Coxhead J, Ryan S, Rollinson S, Griffin H, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Santibanez-Koref M, Talbot K, Turner MR, McKenzie CA, Troakes C, Attems J, Smith C, Al Sarraj S, Morris CM, Ansorge O, Pickering-Brown S, Ironside JW, Chinnery PF. . Acta Neuropathologica Communications 2017, 5, 17.
  • Keogh MJ, Wei W, Wilson I, Coxhead J, Ryan S, Rollinson S, Griffin H, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Santibariez-Koref M, Talbot K, Turner MR, McKenzie CA, Troakes C, Attems J, Smith C, Al Sarraj S, Morris CM, Ansorge O, Pickering-Brown S, Ironside JW, Chinnery PF. . Genome Reseach 2017, 27(1), 165-173.
  • Coxhead J, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Hussain R, Pyle A, Chinnery P, Hudson G. . Neurobiology of Aging 2016, 38, 217.e1-217.e6.
  • Pyle A, Anugrha H, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Yarnall A, Burn D, Hudson G. . Neurobiology of Aging 2016, 38, 216.e7–216.e10.
  • Keogh MJ, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Griffin H, Douroudis K, Ayers KL, Hussein RI, Hudson G, Pyle A, Cordell HJ, Attems J, McKeith IG, O'Brien JT, Burn DJ, Morris CM, Thomas AJ, Chinnery PF. . Translational Psychiatry 2016, 6, e728.
  • Chiasserini D, Paciotti S, Eusebi P, Persichetti E, Tasegian A, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Chinnery PF, Morris CM, Calabresi P, Parnetti L, Beccari T. . Molecular Neurodegeneration 2015, 10(1), 1-13.
  • Pyle A, Brennan R, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Yarnall A, Thouin A, Mollenhauer B, Burn D, Chinnery PF, Hudson G. . Annals of Neurology 2015, 78(6), 1000-1004.
  • Gorman GS, Pfeffer G, Griffin H, Blakely EL, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Gabriel J, Sitarz K, Roberts M, Schoser B, Pyle A, Schaefer AM, McFarland R, Turnbull DM, Horvath R, Chinnery PF, Taylor RW. . JAMA Neurology 2015, 72(1), 106-111.
  • Pfeffer G, Gorman GS, Griffin H, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Blakely EL, Wilson I, Sitarz K, Moore D, Murphy JL, Alston CL, Pyle A, Coxhead J, Payne B, Gorrie GH, Longman C, Hadjivassiliou M, McConville J, Dick D, Imam I, Hilton D, Norwood F, Baker MR, Jaiser SR, Yu-Wai-Man P, Farrell M, McCarthy A, Lynch T, McFarland R, Schaefer AM, Turnbull DM, Horvath R, Taylor RW, Chinnery PF. . Brain 2014, 137(5), 1323-1336.
  • Nalls MA, Duran R, Lopez G, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, McKeith IG, Chinnery PF, Morris CM, Theuns J, Crosiers D, Cras P, Engelborghs S, DeDeyn PP, Van Broeckhoven C, Mann DM, Snowden J, Pickering-Brown S, Halliwell N, Davidson Y, Gibbons L, Harris J, Sheerin UM, Bras J, Hardy J, Clark L, Marder K, Honig LS, Berg D, Maetzler W, Brockmann K, Gasser T, Novellino F, Quattrone A, Annesi G, De Marco EV, Rogaeva E, Masellis M, Black SE, Bilbao JM, Foroud T, Ghetti B, Nichols WC, Pankratz N, Halliday G, Lesage S, Klebe S, Durr A, Duyckaerts C, Brice A, Giasson BI, Trojanowski JQ, Hurtig HI, Tayebi N, Landazabal C, Knight MA, Keller M, Singleton AB, Wolfsberg TG, Sidransky E. . JAMA Neurology 2013, 70(6), 727-735.
  • Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Hanson PS, Blain PG, Lett DJ, McKeith IG, Chinnery PF, Morris CM. . Journal of Neurochemistry 2012, 123(2), 298-309.
  • Keane PC, Kurzawa M, Blain PG, Morris CM. . Parkinson's Disease 2011, 2011, 716871.
  • Tonska K, Kurzawa M, Ambroziak AM, Korwin-Rujna M, Szaflik JP, Grabowska E, Szaflik J, Bartnik E. . Mitochondrion 2008, 8(5-6), 383-388.

• Letter

  • Pyle A, Lowes H, Brennan R, Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Yarnall A, Burn D, Hudson G. . Movement Disorders 2016, 31(12), 1923-1924.

• Note

  • Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Lotery A, Steel DH, Lako M. . Regenerative Medicine 2021, 16(5), 431-434.

• Review

  • Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Tzoumas N, Corral-Serrano JC, Guarascio R, Steel D, Cheetham ME, Armstrong L, Lako M. . Progress in Retinal and Eye Research 2024, 100, 101248.