Targeting different brain cells could be an option for new Parkinson’s treatments

There are many different types of cells in the brain. Neurons, also called nerve cells, are one type of cell. We know that in Parkinson’s, neurons which produce dopamine become damaged and start to die over time. So far, the majority of Parkinson’s research has focused on this type of cell. Read more about why brain cells die in Parkinson’s on our research blog.

However, it’s possible that other types of brain cells also become damaged as the condition gets worse. The damage to these other cells may even play a role in why dopamine-producing neurons become damaged in Parkinson’s.

We funded Dr Nataly Hastings at Cellestial Health, working in partnership with the University of Cambridge and University of Manchester, to explore whether brain cells called astrocytes may also be important in Parkinson’s.

What did the researchers do?

In this study, researchers looked at 2 methods of studying Parkinson’s in the lab. One method used brain cells grown in a dish and the other method involved rats. In both of these, Nataly and her colleagues were able to mimic what’s happening in the brains of people with Parkinson’s, by either inducing inflammation in the brain cells or encouraging clumps of a protein called alpha-synuclein to form and stick together.

The team then studied what was happening in the brain cells. They particularly focused on astrocytes, which are star-shaped brain cells that form large networks in the brain. Within these networks, cells are linked by small connections which enable them to communicate and pass messages around the brain.

What did they find?

In both the brain cells and the animal models of Parkinson’s, researchers saw that the connections between astrocytes were damaged. This resulted in less communication between cells in the brain.

They also found that in healthy brain cells, when a key protein involved in forming these connections between astrocytes was reduced, the brain cells resembled that of the Parkinson’s models. This suggests that a breakdown in connection between astrocytes could also be contributing to Parkinson’s getting worse over time.

When the researchers used an experimental compound to improve these connections between astrocytes, they found that these Parkinson’s-like changes were reversed.

What happens next?

These results suggest that the connections between astrocytes are important for the health of brain cells. Strengthening the connection between astrocytes may keep cells healthy and able to pass on messages. This opens up a new target for future Parkinson’s treatments. 

Dr Nataly Hastings said: “Scientists have known for over 100 years that the brain is not simply a collection of neurons – neurons only represent around a quarter to a half of the human brain. With this in mind, there doesn’t seem to be a scientific rationale for leaving half of the brain unprotected in Parkinson’s, and that’s why our work focused on other, often overlooked but promising cells – astrocytes”

Dr Becky Jones, Research Communications Lead at Parkinson’s UK, said: “We urgently need new and better treatments for Parkinson’s. It’s great to see results from this work, which we’ve supported since 2023, start to produce new targets for future drugs for Parkinson’s.

“We look forward to future results from Nataly and Cellestial Health, building on these promising early findings in cell and animal models, towards new candidate treatments.”