(Image: Soledad Galli, Parkinson鈥檚 UK/University College London)
This glowing blue web of neurons is usually what researchers examine when searching for a cure for Parkinson鈥檚. But a new study, part-funded by Parkinson鈥檚 UK, hones in on the tiny yellow dots. These are the connections between brain cells known as synapses, has discovered a killer that targets these links, potentially paving the way for new treatments.
at University College London and her colleagues have found that the death of synapses in mice may be due to malfunctioning proteins called Wnt proteins. 鈥淚f we confirm that Wnt is involved in the early stages of Parkinson鈥檚, this throws up exciting possibilities, not just for new treatment targets, but also for new ways to identify people with Parkinson鈥檚 early on in their condition,鈥� says Galli.
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Most patients currently depend on the drug levodopa, which is over 50 years old and can have severe side-effects, in addition to becoming less effective over time. Moreover, it only masks the symptoms: there is no cure for Parkinson鈥檚 and no way to stop its progression.
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