New research may reveal clue to early onset Parkinson's
3 March 2010
A new lead for potential treatments for Parkinson's has been
discovered by UK researchers in a study we are funding.
This is an important step forward in understanding what happens in the nerve cells which are lost in Parkinson's when there are faulty genes.
Dr Kieran Breen, Director of Research
The study identified for the first time how 2 genes linked to
the early onset form of Parkinson's - parkin and PINK1 - work
together to remove damaged mitochondria from nerve cells.
Mitochondria produce all the energy that cells in the body need
to work properly.
People with Parkinson's don't have enough of the chemical
dopamine because nerve cells in the brain die, and nerve cells lost
to Parkinson's often contain damaged mitochondria.
The study was conducted by researchers at the University of
Sheffield and published online by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences this week.
What the researchers found
The team at Sheffield studied cells from fruit flies to see how
parkin and PINK1 genes behaved inside them.
Dr Alex Whitworth, who led the study, comments:
"We know that parkin and PINK 1 play a crucial role in making
sure that damaged mitochondria are quickly removed from the
cell.
"This ensures that all of the remaining mitochondria provide the
cells with enough energy to work efficiently. We have found a
potential way that shows how parkin might help remove damaged
mitochondria."
About 5% of people inherit Parkinson's
Dr Kieran Breen, our Director of Research and Development,
adds:
"This is an important step forward in understanding what happens
in the nerve cells which are lost in Parkinson's when there are
faulty genes.
"We know that about 5% of people inherit Parkinson's and this
may be due to mutations in the PINK1 or parkin genes. Understanding
more about what these genes do and how mutations may kill nerve
cells will give us a clue as to how to keep cells healthy.
"From this, we may be able to slow down or even stop Parkinson's
from progressing.
"We are committed to finding a cure and better treatments for
people with Parkinson's, and this development moves us closer
towards this goal."
Find out more about our research
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