Parkinson's disease is a disorder in the progressive nervous system that can affect body movements. In people suffering from this disease, certain nerve cells in their brain will gradually deteriorate and die,which can cause dopamine levels to decrease. Dopamine is a substance that helps coordinate muscle movements.

Although Parkinson's disease is common in the elderly, it is also possible for younger people to suffer from this disease. Reporting from Medical News Today, 10% of about 500,000 Parkinson's patients in the United States are those aged 21-50 years. A recent study even found that they may already have abnormalities in brain cells from birth that are undetectable for years.

In their study, researchers analysed stem cells known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which were taken from young Parkinson's patients. The researchers used iPSCs to produce dopamine neurons and were cultured for analysis. It was known that there were abnormalities in the accumulation of alpha-synuclein proteins commonly found in Parkinson's patients. In addition, the researchers also found malfunctions in lysosomes, cell structures that serve as a site for protein breakdown and disposal. This malfunction can cause the accumulation of alpha-synuclein proteins.

In this study, researchers also conducted trials on drugs that could help fix the problem. They found that PEP005, a drug that is often used to treat precancerous skin, can help reduce the buildup of alpha-synuclein protein. The results of this study have been published in the journal Nature Medicine.

Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Pixabay

Source(s):

• Laperie, A.H., Sances, S., Yucer, N., et al (2020). iPSC modeling of Parkinson's disease reveals a molecular signature of disease and novel therapeutic candidates. Nature Medicine, DOI: 10.1038 / s41591-019-0739-1.
• Science Daily - Parkinson's disease may start before birth (2020). https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200127134825.htm, 5 February 2020.