New hypothesis paper builds on a growing scientific consensus that Parkinson's disease route to the brain starts in either the nose or the gut and proposes that environmental toxicants are the likely source.
Lewy body disease may be more common in middle-aged people than previously thought, according to a recent study. In the study, almost one in ten of over 50-year-olds were found to have tissue markers of Lewy body disease in the brain.
Researchers uncovered the mechanistic details behind how several proteins interact to help cells recognize and remove damaged mitochondria. Optineurin (OPTN) and its interactions are needed to provide a contact site for another protein, Tank-binding kinase 1 (TBK1), during this process. The OPTN-TBK1 relationship is necessary for these mitochondria to be recognized and eliminated from the cell. This mechanism may have relevance for developing drugs to treat Parkinson's disease.
Pesticides and herbicides used in farming have been linked to Parkinson's disease in the Rocky Mountain and Great Plains region of the country, according to a preliminary study.
Researchers have discovered a network of neurons in the brain of mice that help them make right and left turns. In the future, the discovery may be used in treatment for Parkinson's disease.
