Researchers have identified the area of the brain from where Parkinson’s disease originates, which has raised hopes that treatments can be developed to prevent or maybe even reverse the condition.
According to Mirage News, the researchers from the UK Dementia Research Institute at Cardiff University and the Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre, University of Oxford, conducted a study of the genes from over 6,000 cells from the substantia nigra, a region in the centre of the brain from where many neurological diseases originate.
Parkinson’s occurs when the cells that produce dopamine begin to die, but very little is known about what triggers this reaction. The research into the cells from the substantia nigra will help scientists refocus their efforts on those cells that should be producing dopamine, which is known for being a key part in the regulation of movement and cognition.
Claire Bale, head of research at Parkinson’s UK, said that understanding the sequence of events that leads to the neurological disease would be vital in finding a way to halt the progress of Parkinson’s, and even find a cure.
“This is a really exciting development. By applying this knowledge to future research we can work faster towards delivering new treatments that can slow, stop or reverse Parkinson’s. That is a day which cannot come soon enough for the 145,000 people currently living with the condition in the UK,” she said.
The brain utilises dopamine to send messages which control movement. A shortage of this chemical can trigger stiffness, slowness and tremors. Researchers had wondered whether immune cells in the brain, known as microglia, were causing the loss of dopaminergic neurons, similar to Alzheimer’s disease.
However, this was discovered to not be the case on further study of the cells from the substantia nigra. Instead, the cause of Parkinson’s disease appeared to be found directly in the dopaminergic neurons. Now that the origin of the disease has been located, researchers hope to find a drug that can halt the process.
The research was carried out by the UK Dementia Research Institute at Cardiff University and the Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre at Oxford University.
Study leader Professor Caleb Webber explained that the discovery holds huge implications for the understanding of Parkinson’s now that scientists know where to look.
“Our findings suggest we need to refocus our efforts into what is going wrong in the dopaminergic neurons early on in Parkinson’s brains,” he said.
Ms Bale added that by the time many sufferers have been diagnosed, they may have already lost up to 80 per cent of their dopamine-producing cells.
She said that Parkinson’s UK is always encouraged to see new developments and research, such as this study, particularly from the Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre, in which Parkinson’s UK has invested £11 million.
Professor Bart De Strooper, director of the UK Dementia Research Institute, said: “With the UK’s prevalence of Parkinson’s disease expected to almost double by 2065, the need for breakthroughs in treatment is imperative.”
The breakthrough study was published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.
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