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ScienceDaily: Parkinson's Research News

1. Proteins in migration: New animal model provides important clues on mechanisms of Parkinson's disease
   Scientists have developed a novel experimental model that reproduces for the first time this pattern of alpha-synuclein brain spreading and provides important clues on the mechanisms underlying this pathological process. They triggered the production of human alpha-synuclein in the lower rat brain and were able to trace the spreading of this protein toward higher brain regions. The new experimental paradigm could promote the development of ways to halt or slow down disease development in humans.
2. Common food supplement fights degenerative brain disorders, study suggests
   Widely available in pharmacies and health stores, phosphatidylserine is a natural food supplement produced from beef, oysters, and soy. Now scientists have discovered that the supplement improves the functioning of genes involved in degenerative brain disorders, including Parkinson's disease and familial dysautonomia.
3. Finding a family for a pair of orphan receptors in the brain
   Researchers have identified a protein that stimulates a pair of "orphan receptors" found in the brain, solving a long-standing biological puzzle and possibly leading to future treatments for neurological diseases.
4. Faulty energy production in brain cells leads to disorders ranging from Parkinson's to intellectual disability
   Neuroscientists have shown for the first time that dysfunctional mitochondria in brain cells can lead to learning disabilities. The link between dysfunctional mitochondria and Parkinson's disease is known, but this new research shows that it is also present in other brain disorders.
5. Cancer drug prevents build-up of toxic brain protein
   Researchers have used tiny doses of a leukemia drug to halt accumulation of toxic proteins in the brains of mice. They say their study offers a unique and exciting strategy to treat neurodegenerative diseases that feature abnormal buildup of proteins in Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, Huntington's disease and Lewy body dementia, among others.
6. Unleashing the watchdog protein: Research opens door to new drug therapies for Parkinson's disease
   Researchers have unlocked a new door to developing drugs to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease.
7. Could eating peppers prevent Parkinson's? Dietary nicotine may hold protective key
   New research reveals that Solanaceae -- a flowering plant family with some species producing foods that are edible sources of nicotine -- may provide a protective effect against Parkinson's disease. The study suggests that eating foods that contain even a small amount of nicotine, such as peppers and tomatoes, may reduce risk of developing Parkinson's.
8. Boosting 'cellular garbage disposal' can delay the aging process
   Biologists have identified a gene, previously implicated in Parkinson's disease, that can delay the onset of aging and extend the healthy life span of fruit flies. This research has important potential implications for aging and disease in humans. The gene, Parkin, serves at least two vital functions. By increasing Parkin activity, the scientists extended the lifespan of the flies by more than 25 percent.
9. Endogenous antibiotic discovered in the brain
   Scientists have discovered that immune cells in the brain can produce a substance that prevents bacterial growth: namely itaconic acid. Until now, biologists had assumed that only certain fungi produced itaconic acid.Scientists have now shown that even so-called microglial cells in mammals are also capable of producing this acid.
10. Connection between inflammatory stimulus and Parkinson's disease examined
    The precise cause(s) of Parkinson’s Disease is unknown, but there is consensus that an inflammatory event or episode is involved in the initiation of neurodegeneration. A new study has brought the understanding of inflammation’s role a step further.