Leading-edge research by the team of professor Patrik Verstreken (VIB-KU Leuven) has shown for the first time that a malfunctioning stress-coping mechanism in the brain is at the root of Parkinson's disease. Genetic mutations that cause Parkinson's disease can prevent synapses -- the junctions between neurons where electrical signals are transmitted -- from coping with the stress of intense brain activity. This damages the synapses, which in turn disrupts the transmission of brain signals. Building on these findings, the scientists hope to correct the dysfunction and find strategies to re-establish normal synaptic communication. The results are published in the leading trade journalNeuron.
Professor Patrik Verstreken (VIB-KU Leuven) specializes in brain research, with a particular interest in synapses, the place where neurons contact one another and transmit signals. In various brain disorders -- like Parkinson's disease -- communication at these synapses is impaired. The new research identifies an important cause of this disruption.
Patrik Verstreken (VIB-KU Leuven): "Synapses have to transmit an enormous amount of electrical signals. Some neurons will fire more than 800 of those signals in just one second. We have discovered that synaptic contacts have developed special mechanisms to deal with such a 'barrage' of signals. However, if one of these mechanisms doesn't function properly, cellular stress is accumulated. This causes damage to the synapses and ultimately leads to neurodegeneration."
Maintaining synaptic function
Professor Verstreken's team investigated different types of coping mechanisms and uncovered that one type is disrupted in Parkinson's disease. This aberration involves different known genetic factors and affects specifically synapses.
Patrik Verstreken (VIB-KU Leuven): "Our work is the first to implicate dysfunctional synapses so profoundly in Parkinson's. After using mostly fruit flies to understand the disease mechanism it will now be interesting to see whether an identical stress-coping mechanism is disrupted in human patients as well. Our collaborators at the European Neuroscience Institute in Göttingen led by Ira Milosevic already made very similar discoveries in mouse neurons. In any case, this research tells us that it is absolutely critical to find strategies to maintain synaptic function in treating this disease."
Future research
Building on the results of this research, the scientists want to find out how universal the stress-coping mechanism is disrupted in Parkinson's disease.
Patrik Verstreken (VIB-KU Leuven): "Next, we hope to correct the dysfunction caused by the Parkinson mutations and identify strategies that might re-establish normal synaptic communication. Reactivation of the coping mechanism, for instance, might also repair the damaged synapses. Of course, this requires additional research."
Materials provided by VIB - Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Disclaimer: DoveMed is not responsible for the adapted accuracy of news releases posted to DoveMed by contributing universities and institutions.
Primary Resource:
Soukup, S. F., Kuenen, S., Vanhauwaert, R., Manetsberger, J., Hernández-Díaz, S., Swerts, J., ... & Geens, A. (2016). A LRRK2-dependent EndophilinA phosphoswitch is critical for macroautophagy at presynaptic terminals. Neuron.
and connect with fellow professionals
At DoveMed, our utmost priority is your well-being. We are an online medical resource dedicated to providing you with accurate and up-to-date information on a wide range of medical topics. But we're more than just an information hub - we genuinely care about your health journey. That's why we offer a variety of products tailored for both healthcare consumers and professionals, because we believe in empowering everyone involved in the care process.
Our mission is to create a user-friendly healthcare technology portal that helps you make better decisions about your overall health and well-being. We understand that navigating the complexities of healthcare can be overwhelming, so we strive to be a reliable and compassionate companion on your path to wellness.
As an impartial and trusted online resource, we connect healthcare seekers, physicians, and hospitals in a marketplace that promotes a higher quality, easy-to-use healthcare experience. You can trust that our content is unbiased and impartial, as it is trusted by physicians, researchers, and university professors around the globe. Importantly, we are not influenced or owned by any pharmaceutical, medical, or media companies. At DoveMed, we are a group of passionate individuals who deeply care about improving health and wellness for people everywhere. Your well-being is at the heart of everything we do.
0 Comments
Please log in to post a comment.