Worms may hold clue to inherited Parkinson's

3 December 2009

The Parkinson's Disease Society has announced funding of over £190,000 to the University of Dundee, for research using worms which may hold a clue to why some people develop inherited Parkinson's.

There are around 120,000 people with Parkinson's in the UK. In a small number of people (up to 5%), Parkinson's is believed to be directly inherited. We know that several genes, including LRRK2, have already been linked to the hereditary form of the condition.

It's also thought that there may be genetic factors that make some people more susceptible to developing the non-inherited form of Parkinson's.  

What will the researchers do?

Dr Anton Gartner and his team at Dundee will use a simple worm called C. elegans  to chemically induce nerve cell death so that they can study why brain nerve cells die in Parkinson's.

Why worms?

Worms are used as they are one of the simplest organisms with a nervous system, sharing more than 50% of their genes with humans, including those involved in inherited Parkinson's.

In addition, the way nerve cells communicate with each other in worms is similar to how it works in humans. 

The researchers want to understand how changes or mutations in the LRRK2 gene lead to the development of Parkinson's, and how drugs could stop the damage that these mutations cause to nerve cells.

Towards a better understanding

Dr Kieran Breen, our Director of Research and Development, comments:

"It's fascinating that such a simple animal as a worm can be an excellent model for Parkinson's researchers to study what happens in specific nerve cells.

"We are delighted to be funding this research. It will help us to understand better what causes nerve cells to die in Parkinson's, and will help us to develop new treatments for the condition."

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