Fruit fly research sheds light on the early stages of Parkinson's
17 January 2012
New research that we've funded suggests that problems with
mitochondria - the energy-producing batteries that power all our
cells - may be to blame for nerve cell death in Parkinson's.
This study shows just how vital models like the fruit fly are in helping us understand what happens to the nerve cells that are affected in Parkinson's.
Dr Kieran Breen, Director of Research and Innovation
The research team at the University of York was led by
researcher Dr Chris Elliot who has a Parkinson's UK innovation grant.
The new study appears in the journal
Human Molecular Genetics.
What the research team found
The team studied fly larvae with a faulty version of parkin - a
gene linked to inherited Parkinson's in people - to help them
investigate the very early stages of the condition.
Larvae with the faulty version of parkin moved much more slowly
than normal fly larvae. This seemed to be because their nerve cells
weren't working properly.
Further experiments showed that the problems stemmed from the
mitochondria, which were unable to produce enough energy for the
nerve cells to work properly.
Why fruit flies?
Discoveries in fruit flies have greatly contributed
to our understanding of Parkinson's.
These tiny flies are easy to keep and they have
dopamine-producing nerve cells in their brains similar to those
that die in Parkinson's.
It's relatively simple to manipulate their genes and they
reproduce rapidly. This makes them an ideal model system for
testing new drugs.
Hope for new treatments
Dr Kieran Breen, our director of research and innovation,
comments:
"Developing better
animal models for Parkinson's is a central theme of our research strategy.
"This study shows just how vital models like the fruit fly are
in helping us understand what happens to the nerve cells that are
affected in Parkinson's.
"We already knew that mitochondria were important in
Parkinson's. But this research suggests that mitochondrial problems
may be the root cause of the problems that lead to nerve cell
death.
"So finding ways to protect and enhance the mitochondria may be
the key to treatments that can slow or even stop Parkinson's in its
tracks."
More about this study
More about Parkinson's research
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