Assessing stimulation-dependent changes in LRRK2 and GCase expression/activity and convergence at the lysosome in cryopreserved monocytes.

These results show that cryopreservation of PBMCs doesn't affect our ability to measure stimulation-dependent changes in both LRRK2 and GCase expression/activity levels. These assays are therefore to be repeated in idiopathic PD PBMCs. Furthermore, these results suggest a fundamental role of LRRK2, specifically LRRK2 kinase activity, in lysosomal function in immune cells. Given the parallel increases in GCase activity, future research aims to investigate how these two enzymes interact and converge on biological pathways regulating inflammation and the lysosome in patient monocytes.