British scientists have hailed a breakthrough which could block or even REVERSE the effects of Parkinson’s Disease.
Researchers say they have identified a way to stop a protein change that damages brain cells and prevents them from producing dopamine.
The hormone helps nerve cells send signals to one another and without it the body begins to lose control of its movements.
However the new study suggests that if the tiny structures within brain cells are protected from the rogue protein, the production of dopamine will be preserved or even restored.
Parkinson’s UK, the support and research charity, hailed the new study as a “promising” step in the bid to finding a cure.
The cruel disease affects around 127,000 people in the UK – one in 500. At present there are drugs and treatments to manage the symptoms but there is no cure.
Scientists say the new study raises hopes that chemicals or gene therapy to limit protein fission could finally be the answer to halting or even reversing the effects of the disease.
The pioneering work has been done at Plymouth University and led by Dr Kim Tieu of the Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry.
His team examined the effects of proteins on mitochondria, the tiny structures within nerve cells that keep them healthy, in mice.
Mitochondria undergo frequent changes in shape, size, number and location thanks to either mitochondrial fission, when they split into multiple smaller units, or mitochondrial fusion, when they join together to get bigger.
Both processes are controlled by competing sets of proteins and the health of the cells relies on them achieving a balance.
The researchers found that when a particular mitochondrial fission protein – GTPase dynamin-related protein-1 Drp1 – was blocked with chemicals or gene therapy it helped maintain the balance, reducing the rate that cells died and preserving dopamine production.
If the results can be replicated in humans, Dr Tieu and his fellow scientists hope a similar strategy could effectively reverse the effects of Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases.
Dr. Tieu said: “Our findings show exciting potential for an effective treatment for PD and pave the way for future in-depth studies in this field.
“It’s worth noting that other researchers are also targeting this mitochondrial fission/fusion pathway as potential treatments for other neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.”
Claire Bale, Research Communications Manager at Parkinson’s UK, said: “This study, which reveals a potential new drug target to protect mitochondria, is a promising step towards slowing down or stopping the progression of Parkinson’s.
“We’ve known for decades that problems with mitochondria – the batteries of the cell – play a key role in the death of nerve cells in Parkinson’s, but the research in this area hasn’t yet led to new treatments.
Most people who get Parkinson’s are aged 50 or over but younger people can get it too.
The main symptoms are tremors, rigidity and slowness of movement that can, in turn, cause tiredness, pain, depression and constipation.
The study was supported by funding from the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, the UK Medical Research Council and Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry.
Dr Tieu began his research when he was a principal investigator at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and continued it on his move to Plymouth University in Devon.
by Ben Ashford
PARKINSON'S BREAKTHROUGH
NEWS COPY - WITH PICTURES - by Ben Ashford
British scientists yesterday (Weds) hailed a breakthrough which could block or even REVERSE the effects of Parkinson’s Disease.
Researchers say they have identified a way to stop a protein change that damages brain cells and prevents them from producing dopamine.
The hormone helps nerve cells send signals to one another and without it the body begins to lose control of its movements.
However the new study suggests that if the tiny structures within brain cells are protected from the rogue protein, the production of dopamine will be preserved or even restored.
Parkinson's UK, the support and research charity, hailed the new study as a "promising" step in the bid to finding a cure.
The cruel disease affects around 127,000 people in the UK - one in 500. At present there are drugs and treatments to manage the symptoms but there is no cure.
Scientists say the new study raises hopes that chemicals or gene therapy to limit protein fission could finally be the answer to halting or even reversing the effects of the disease.
The pioneering work has been done at Plymouth University and led by Dr Kim Tieu of the Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry.
His team examined the effects of proteins on mitochondria, the tiny structures within nerve cells that keep them healthy, in mice.
Mitochondria undergo frequent changes in shape, size, number and location thanks to either mitochondrial fission, when they split into multiple smaller units, or mitochondrial fusion, when they join together to get bigger.
Both processes are controlled by competing sets of proteins and the health of the cells relies on them achieving a balance.
The researchers found that when a particular mitochondrial fission protein - GTPase dynamin-related protein-1 Drp1 - was blocked with chemicals or gene therapy it helped maintain the balance, reducing the rate that cells died and preserving dopamine production.
If the results can be replicated in humans, Dr Tieu and his fellow scientists hope a similar strategy could effectively reverse the effects of Parkinson's and other neurological diseases.
Dr. Tieu said: “Our findings show exciting potential for an effective treatment for PD and pave the way for future in-depth studies in this field.
"It’s worth noting that other researchers are also targeting this mitochondrial fission/fusion pathway as potential treatments for other neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.”
Claire Bale, Research Communications Manager at Parkinson's UK, said: "This study, which reveals a potential new drug target to protect mitochondria, is a promising step towards slowing down or stopping the progression of Parkinson's.
"We've known for decades that problems with mitochondria - the batteries of the cell - play a key role in the death of nerve cells in Parkinson's, but the research in this area hasn't yet led to new treatments.
Most people who get Parkinson's are aged 50 or over but younger people can get it too.
The main symptoms are tremors, rigidity and slowness of movement that can, in turn, cause tiredness, pain, depression and constipation.
The study was supported by funding from the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, the UK Medical Research Council and Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry.
Dr Tieu began his research when he was a principal investigator at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and continued it on his move to Plymouth University in Devon.
