
Brain astrocytes show metabolic alterations in Parkinson's disease
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A new study using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology links astrocyte dysfunction to Parkinson's disease (PD) pathology. The study carried out at the University of Eastern Finland and published in Scientific Reports highlights the role of brain astrocyte cells in PD pathology and the potential of iPSC-derived cells in disease modelling and drug discovery.
Researchers at Gladstone Institutes have performed a massive and detailed cellular energy audit; they analyzed every gene in the human genome to identify those that drive energy production or energy consumption. The result is a collection of data they call the "ATPome," which not only provides new directions for the field of metabolism research, but also identifies genes and proteins that can be targeted to manipulate cellular energy and treat disease.
Scientists have made a breakthrough in understanding how the enteric nervous system forms, which could pave the way for new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.
Scientists at the University Bath have discovered a series of protein structures that are thought to be highly relevant to the onset of Parkinson's disease. It is hoped that further analysis of these structures will open up a new avenue for potential treatment for a disease that is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, with no cure currently available.
UC San Diego scientists using leading-edge technologies have produced the first visualizations of LRRK2, the elusive protein that many consider the key of fully understanding the causes of genetic Parkinson's disease, inside its natural cellular environment and the first high-resolution blueprint of the protein. They leveraged these depictions to describe how LRRK2 binds to cellular tracks called microtubules and acts as a roadblock for motors that move along these tracks.
While movement problems are the main symptoms of Parkinson's disease, people with the disease often have non-motor symptoms such as constipation, daytime sleepiness and depression 10 or more years before the movement problems start. A new study suggests that eating a healthy diet in middle age may be linked to having fewer of these preceding symptoms. The study is published in the August 19, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Individual frequency can be used to specifically influence certain areas of the brain and thus the abilities processed in them - solely by electrical stimulation on the scalp, without any surgical intervention. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences have now demonstrated this for the first time.
Switching off a molecular 'master regulator' may protect the brain from inflammatory damage and neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease, reports a study published today in Nature Neuroscience. The study is the first of its kind and points to an entirely new avenue for developing therapies that preserve vulnerable brain cells in Parkinson's disease. Currently, there are no effective ways to prevent Parkinson's or to slow or stop its progression.
Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) scientists have developed implantable hydrogels based on plant polysaccharides (pectins). They can play the role of an artificial extracellular matrix, a special network of molecules that fills the space between body cells. The development to be used as a medium for growing tissues and organs, as well as for drug delivery and brain recovery after removal of malignant tumors glioblastomas. A related article appears in the International Review of Neurobiology.
Scientists at the lab of Professor Hilal Lashuel at EPFL have identified a new enzyme called "TBK1" who plays a central role in regulating the degradation and clearance of the huntingtin protein and introduces chemical modifications that block its aggregation. "We believe that this represents a viable target for the development of possible treatment of Huntington's disease," says Lashuel.