Scientists from the University of Copenhagen have made a significant discovery about Parkinson’s disease, revealing that its most common form is caused by a blockage in a pathway that controls the mitochondria, the energy producers in nerve cells.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects seven to ten million people globally. It is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder among older adults and the most prevalent movement disorder.
Despite its prevalence, the exact cause of Parkinson’s has largely been a mystery.
Cells, including brain cells, typically function by taking in nutrients and expelling waste.
However, when there is a blockage in a specific signaling pathway, the mitochondria in these cells cannot clean up after damage. This results in a buildup of damaged mitochondria and a failure to produce enough energy for the cells.
This mitochondrial dysfunction leads to the gradual death of neurons, which is the underlying cause of Parkinson’s symptoms and its progression to dementia. The blockage is linked to dysregulation of immune genes, which are usually involved in virus defense but also play a role in energy regulation in nerve cells.
These pathways are crucial for brain function and are also involved in recognizing microbes and viruses. For example, they are important in the body’s response to COVID-19, and mutations in related genes have been linked to severe outcomes from the virus.
In their study, researchers combined and analyzed data from four different sets, examining neurons from brains affected by Parkinson’s. They focused on gene expression patterns and identified which genes were disrupted in Parkinson’s patients, particularly those with dementia.
The team found that the accumulation of damaged mitochondria also led to an increase in other toxic proteins. In comparing patients with Parkinson’s to healthy individuals of the same age, they discovered that a protein called PIAS2 was highly expressed in the neurons of Parkinson’s patients.
The researchers suggest that this pathway should be studied further to understand its potential role in other forms of familial Parkinson’s disease.
They hope their findings will spur more research into counteracting this pathway blockage, which could lead to new treatments for Parkinson’s and possibly prevent the onset of dementia associated with the disease.
This groundbreaking study was led by Professor Shohreh Issazadeh-Navikas and published in Molecular Psychiatry.
If you care about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies that Vitamin B may slow down cognitive decline, and Mediterranean diet could help lower risk of Parkinson’s.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how wheat gluten might be influencing our brain health, and Olive oil: a daily dose for better brain health.
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