Apr 26 2021 Read 13 Times
Researchers at the University of Sheffield have been awarded £1.2 million from Parkinson’s UK to continue with development of a drug that protects dopamine-producing brain cells in efforts to halt the degenerative disease.
Dopamine is a chemical which allows messages to be sent to the parts of the brain that help to coordinate movement. To do this effectively, the dopamine-producing brain cells need to be constantly active and they rely on mitochondria to function properly.
Scientists from the University’s Institute of Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) led by Dr Heather Mortiboys, have been working with experts from Parkinson’s UK to develop molecules that can boost the function of the brain’s energy-producing mitochondria.