Parkinson’s disease and Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) are brain diseases that affect millions of people in the United States.
They slowly damage the brain, making it harder for people to move, think clearly, and remember things.
These conditions are caused by the loss of brain cells that produce dopamine, a chemical that helps control movement. As the disease gets worse, many people also develop memory problems.
Scientists have been studying Parkinson’s and LBD for many years. Recently, a team from Scripps Research made an important discovery that may help explain how these diseases start and how they spread in the brain.
The researchers focused on two things: tiny nitrogen molecules and a protein called alpha-synuclein. Our bodies naturally produce reactive nitrogen molecules, such as nitric oxide. But when there are too many of them, they can cause problems.
One of the main problems is that they interfere with a process called autophagy. Autophagy is like the cell’s garbage disposal—it clears out waste, including harmful clumps of protein. Without autophagy working properly, these waste proteins can build up.
In Parkinson’s and LBD, the protein alpha-synuclein starts to build up inside brain cells. In healthy people, this protein is cleaned out regularly. But in people with these diseases, the protein sticks together in clumps that damage brain cells.
The new study found that a protein called p62 is supposed to help clean up these clumps. But when too many nitrogen molecules are around, they change the shape of p62 through a process called S-nitrosylation.
When this happens, p62 can’t do its job properly. As a result, alpha-synuclein clumps grow and stay inside the brain cells, causing harm.
Even worse, these clumps don’t just stay in one cell. They can leave the damaged cell and enter nearby brain cells. This helps explain why Parkinson’s and LBD start in one part of the brain and slowly spread to others. It’s like a domino effect—once one cell is affected, it passes the problem on to others.
The good news is that this discovery might help scientists find a new way to treat or even prevent these diseases. If doctors can stop p62 from being damaged by nitrogen molecules, they might be able to stop the harmful protein clumps from forming and spreading. This could protect brain cells and slow down or even stop the disease.
The researchers also mentioned that some vitamins, like vitamin E and vitamin D, might help prevent or treat Parkinson’s in the future. These ideas still need to be tested, but they offer more hope.
Understanding these new findings helps us learn more about how the brain works and how to keep it healthy. This research brings us one step closer to better treatments for Parkinson’s disease and Lewy Body Dementia.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about inflammation that may actually slow down cognitive decline in older people, and low vitamin D may speed up cognitive decline.
For more health information, please see recent studies about common exercises that could protect against cognitive decline, and results showing this MIND diet may protect your cognitive function, prevent dementia.
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