Study shows pharmacological rescue of mitochondrial defect related to Parkinson's disease
Treating mice that have a Parkinson's disease-causing mutation with a small molecule compound restores the removal of damaged mitochondria from their brain cells, shows a study published today in
eLife.
The findings may help explain what goes wrong in dopamine-producing brain cells in people with mutations that cause Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's disease is caused by the progressive loss of brain cells that produce dopamine. This causes the hallmark symptoms of the disease, including tremors, rigid movements, sleep problems and dementia.
Scientists believe the death of these cells in people with Parkinson's disease is caused, in part, by the failure of a quality control mechanism that removes damaged energy-producing structures in the cells called mitochondria. This failure to recycle damaged mitochondria is detrimental to the health of brain cells."