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Tipping Point of Parkinson's Disease, Discovered by Cambridge University

Monday February 02, 2015

Cambridge University discovered the level at which a protein in the brain suddenly becomes toxic
Sarah Knapton

The Telegraph -

Scientists believe they have found the tipping point in the brain which triggers Parkinson’s Disease in a breakthrough which brings hope of future therapies.

Cambridge University discovered the level at which a protein in the brain suddenly becomes toxic.

Normally alpha-synuclein plays an important role in the smooth flow of chemical signals in the brain.

The level of protein can increase without damage but when it hits ten times usual levels it begins to clump into dangerous structures which are the first step in the chain of events that leads to the development of Parkinson's Disease.

The findings represent an important step towards understanding how and why people develop Parkinson's and how the disease could be spotted earlier.

Dr Celine Galvagnion, a Research Associate at St John's College, University of Cambridge, and the lead author of the study, said: "Finding a cure for Parkinson's depends on our ability to understand it. For the first time, we have been able to provide a mechanistic description of the initial, molecular events that can ultimately result in the development of the disease.

“This provides us with a likely explanation of how the initial steps leading to Parkinson's occur."

According to the charity Parkinson's UK, one in every 500 people in the UK - an estimated 127,000 in all - currently has the condition, but as yet it remains incurable.

Previous research has suggested that overexpression of alpha-synuclein in the brain is somehow linked to the onset of Parkinson's.

Together, the results provide, for the first time, a mechanistic description of the key role that membrane interactions can play in the initiation of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's Disease.

The development was welcomed by charities.

Dr Arthur Roach, Director of Research and Development at Parkinson’s UK, said:

“The formation of deposits of the protein alpha-synuclein in the brain is characteristic of Parkinson’s and some related brain diseases.

“The precise role this plays in the disease is not completely understood but it is believed to contribute to the damage to brain cells.

“In the disease process this aggregation takes place inside cells with a highly complex collection of lipid membranes, so any conclusions can only be used as a guide to what might happen in Parkinson’s.”

The full report appears in the new issue of Nature Chemical Biology.