Parkinson's disease is a
neurodegenerative condition characterized by symptoms such as tremor, impaired
balance, and slowness of movement. New research from Spain, however, may have
found a way of stopping and even reversing the neural degeneration specific to
this condition.
A newly identified molecule acts on one of
the main mechanism of Parkinson's disease.
Data from the National Institutes of
Health (NIH) indicate that approximately 50,000 peoplereceive a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease each year in the
United States.
In terms of its worldwide
prevalence, studies have shown that Parkinson's disease affects one percent of
the population aged 60 and over, and it is the second most
widely diagnosed neurodegenerative condition.
Though the causes of this condition
remain unclear, its development is associated with certain toxic mechanisms
that become established in the brain. One of the main mechanisms is the
formation of aggregates known as "Lewy bodies,"
which disrupt the normal activity of nerve cells.
These aggregates are made out of a
protein called "alpha-synuclein." Although researchers know that
alpha-synuclein plays an important role in Parkinson's, as well as in different
forms of dementia, it remains
unclear how it is produced in the body and what role it plays in the healthy
brain.
What we do understand, however, is
that acting on alpha-synuclein could put a stop to the deterioration of motor
function that takes place in Parkinson's.
Recently, a team of researchers from
the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Spain has identified a special
molecule that not only blocks neurodegeneration, but can also reverse it.
The study paper,
which appears in PNAS,
outlines the methods that the researchers used in order to find this molecule —
named SynuClean-D — and begin testing it for effectiveness and safety.
The
discovery of SynuClean-D
The researchers scanned over 14,000
molecules, looking for a specific feature: molecules that would be able to stop
alpha-synuclein from sticking together into aggregates.
By
employing novel methods of screening molecules and analyzing their properties,
the scientists eventually identified SynuClean-D, which acts as an aggregation
inhibitor.
In a further step, they also tested
out the molecule in vitro, to see if it would be effective and safe to use in
human neural cell cultures. Once this step was cleared, the team decided to
also test SynuClean-D in vivo — in the Caenorhabditis elegans worm, which is often used in
Parkinson's research.
C.
elegans is a good model for
Parkinson's because it expresses alpha-synuclein in the muscle or in certain
nerve cells — namely dopaminergic neurons, which synthesize the key
neurotransmitter dopamine.
These types of neurons are also
involved in sending the messages that regulate mobility, so when their activity
is inhibited by alpha-synuclein aggregates, an individual's ability to move is
also impaired.
The scientists used two C. elegans models of Parkinson's
disease in the current study. After administering SynuClean-D to the worms in
food, the researchers found that it hindered alpha-synuclein from sticking
together, protected the animals against neural degeneration, and boosted their
mobility.
In the future, the researchers hope
that their current findings will enable the development of more targeted
treatments for neurodegenerative conditions.
"Everything seems to indicate that the molecule we
identified, the SynuClean-D, may provide therapeutic applications for the
treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's in the
future."
Study
coordinator, Salvador Ventura
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ReplyDeleteAfter was running around from doctor to doctor before we finally get rid of her PD ,at age 74 my mother noticed that her handwriting was getting smaller and I was writing faster as well. She also noticed a small tremor in her left hand. The doctor went over her different symptoms and he suspected she either had a small stroke or the beginnings of Parkinson 's disease. After finding a neurologist and some testing she was diagnosed with the beginning stages of Parkinson’s disease. That was 3 years ago. She take Sinimet four times a day to control the symptoms, which include falling, imbalance, gait problems, swallowing difficulties, and slurring of speech,This year, our family doctor started her on multivitamincare. org PD Herbal mixture, 15 weeks into treatment she improved dramatically. At the end of the full treatment course, the disease is totally under control. No case of dementia, hallucination, weakness, muscle pain or tremors.
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