DOES Parkinson's disease actually start in the gut and travel to the brain?
That was the conclusion of a recent study carried out a John Hopkins University in Baltimore using 100 mice - and the findings are relevant to the drug work about to get underway in Dundee.
The US researchers found that the abnormally folded alpha-synuclein proteins which are such a hallmark of the disease may actually start off in the gut and then spread to the brain via the vagus nerve, the key communications route linking the brainstem to the body's organs.
READ MORE: Dundee scientists embark on new Parkinson's drug development project
The scientists tested their theory by injecting the abnormal proteins into the stomach and intestines of healthy mice and checking where they could be detected later.
Within weeks they were showing up in the brainstem, and months later all over the rodents' brains.
The findings came after a different study revealed that people who had had their appendix removed earlier in life were less likely to develop Parkinson's disease later.
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The key is being able to stop the build-up of these mis-folded proteins, however, regardless of their origin.
That is the task now facing the Dundee drug development scientists who must find a way to harness the molecules that they know can block the enzyme USP8 from working, and in turn prevent the accumulation of alpha-synuclein.
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Given that the human body is awash with so many enzymes and proteins that are relatively similar in molecular terms, one of the biggest challenges facing the team will be to develop a drug that hits the intended target without inadvertently harming other physiological functions.
The goal is ambitious and exciting - and if successful could be revolutionary for the world's Parkinson's patients.
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