Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common brain disorders, especially in older adults. It slowly damages the parts of the brain that control movement, making everyday activities more difficult over time.
People with Parkinson’s may develop shaking, stiff muscles, slower movements, poor balance, and trouble walking. As the disease progresses, many people also experience memory loss and dementia, greatly affecting their quality of life.
For many years, scientists have been trying to understand why brain cells die in Parkinson’s disease. Although several genes have been linked to the illness, researchers have not fully explained what starts the damage or why it keeps getting worse.
A new study from the University of Copenhagen has now uncovered an important clue that could lead to better treatments in the future.
The research, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, shows that Parkinson’s disease may be caused by a blockage in the system that keeps mitochondria healthy. Mitochondria are tiny structures inside almost every cell. They act like small power plants by producing the energy cells need to survive and carry out their normal jobs.
In healthy brain cells, damaged or worn-out mitochondria are regularly removed and replaced with new ones. This cleaning process helps cells continue making enough energy to stay healthy. The new study found that this important system becomes blocked in Parkinson’s disease, allowing damaged mitochondria to build up inside brain cells.
When these faulty mitochondria collect inside cells, they cannot produce energy properly. As energy levels fall, brain cells become weaker and eventually die. This gradual loss of nerve cells is believed to cause the movement problems seen in Parkinson’s disease and may also contribute to the memory problems that many patients develop later.
The researchers made another surprising discovery. The blockage does not appear to be caused only by aging or general cell damage. Instead, it is closely linked to the immune system, which normally protects the body from infections such as COVID-19 and other viruses.
The same genes that help the brain respond to viruses also help keep the mitochondria cleaning system working normally. In Parkinson’s disease, however, these immune-related genes no longer function as they should. Rather than protecting brain cells, they appear to interfere with the system and contribute to cell damage.
To reach these findings, the scientists combined information from several research projects and carefully examined genes in brain cells from people with Parkinson’s disease. They identified one protein, called PIAS2, that was found in unusually high levels. The researchers believe this protein may play an important role in blocking the cell’s normal cleaning process.
This discovery opens a promising new direction for future research. If scientists can develop medicines that reduce the effects of PIAS2 or restore the mitochondria cleaning system, they may be able to slow or even stop the disease from getting worse. Such treatments could also lower the risk of dementia in people with Parkinson’s disease.
The researchers believe the same problem may also occur in inherited forms of Parkinson’s disease, meaning the findings could help many different groups of patients. Although more studies are needed before new treatments become available, this research is an important step toward understanding what causes Parkinson’s disease.
It gives scientists fresh hope that better therapies could one day protect brain cells and improve the lives of millions of people around the world.
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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