Appendix Removal Tied to Decreased Parkinson's Disease Risk in About 20 Percent of Cases (IMAGE)

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Appendix Removal Tied to Decreased Parkinson's Disease Risk in About 20 Percent of Cases

Caption

Staining revealed that healthy appendixes contain α-synuclein (red), a protein that is a constituent of the Lewy bodies observed in Parkinson's disease. This material relates to a paper that appeared in the Oct. 31, 2018, issue of Science Translational Medicine, published by AAAS. The paper, by B.A. Killinger at Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Mich., and colleagues was titled, "The vermiform appendix impacts the risk of developing Parkinson's disease."

Credit

B.A. Killinger <i>et al., Science Translational Medicine</i> (2018)

Usage Restrictions

Please cite the owner of the material when publishing. This material may be freely used by reporters as part of news coverage, with proper attribution. Non-reporters must contact <i>Science</i> for permission.

License

Licensed content

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.