New Insights into Parkinson's Disease
A significant breakthrough in the research of Parkinson’s disease has shed light on potential new ways
to treat future patients. Previously, knowledge about Parkinson’s disease had been quite limited.
A new study from the University of Copenhagen has shown new insights into the workings of the brain in Parkinson’s patients. Lead researcher Professor Shohreh Issazadeh-Navikas explained that the energy producers within brain cells undergo damage. This damage then spreads across the brain.
“Our findings establish that the spread of the damaged genetic material, the mitochondrial DNA, causes the symptoms reminiscent of Parkinson’s disease and its progression to dementia,” Issazadeh-Navikas said.
Parkinson’s disease afflicts over ten million people worldwide. It is a chronic condition that affects the central nervous system. There is currently no cure for it, but there are some treatments.
The researchers think that this study marks a turning point toward a better understanding of the disease. They hope that detecting the damaged DNA in patients early could help their chances of going through successful treatment.
Issazadeh-Navikas said that it may be “possible to take a small sample of a patient’s blood as a way of diagnosing early on or to establish the favourable response to future treatments.”
For future studies, the researchers want to look at how DNA damage can serve as a marker for disease stages and progression.
//Questions//
1. What did the Shohreh Issazadeh-Navikas say about the energy producers within brain cells of Parkinson's patients?
Answer:
Shohreh Issazadeh-Navikas said that the energy producers within brain cells of Parkinson's patients undergo damage, and that damage then spreads across the brain.
Reason:
(2nd Paragraph) Lead researcher Professor Shohreh Issazadeh-Navikas explained that the energy producers within brain cells undergo damage. This damage then spreads across the brain.
2. What is Parkinson's disease?
Answer:
Parkinson's disease is a chronic condition that affects the central nervous system.
Reason:
(4th Paragraph) Parkinson’s disease afflicts over ten million people worldwide. It is a chronic condition that affects the central nervous system.
3. What do the researchers want to look at in the future?
Answer:
In the future, the researchers want to look at how DNA damage can serve as a marker for disease stages and progression.
Reason:
(7th Paragraph) For future studies, the researchers want to look at how DNA damage can serve as a marker for disease stages and progression.
//Discussions//
Q1
Do you mind undergoing blood tests? Why or why not?
->
If you need a regular checkup, I can take that checkup.
However, we want to avoid unnecessary tests, surgeries, and drugs as much as possible.
This is because humans are immune, and we do not want to lose the ability to heal ourselves as much as possible.
Q2
Would you rather work as a doctor or a medical researcher? Please discuss.
->
I would rather work as a medical researcher.
This is because being a doctor is a job that involves people's lives, and it is a very responsible, meaningful, and stressful job.
If you fail or make a mistake, it can quickly lead to your death.
It would be tough to continue working in such a mental state.
That's why I respect doctors.
Q3
Would you be willing to participate in a study examining your brain? Please explain.
->
No, I don't want to participate.
I want to stay out of hospitals, schools, and politics as much as possible.
They have to play a responsible and essential role.
It's tough, and I can't keep doing those jobs.
Q4
Would you like to raise money for medical research charities? Please share your thoughts.
->
No, I'm not interested in donating to charity.
Of course, I want to help people in need.
However, when I see organizations on the side of the road asking for donations or appealing for the protection of lost dogs, I feel a little disgusted.
Because we don't know where or how that money will be spent.
For example, no matter how much money we donate to Africa, I think that ordinary people in Africa will never get used to being wealthy.
Q5
If you get sick, do you prefer prescription or natural treatments? Please explain.
->
If the disease is severe and urgent, and you have no choice but to take medicine or surgery, I think the only option is medicine or surgery.
However, if the illness is mild and not too serious, I would like to avoid medication as much as possible and focus on eating well and getting enough sleep.
Q6
Do you think all diseases will one day be eradicated? Please share your thoughts.
->
Yes, I think that someday, there will be prescriptions for diseases that we currently recognize, such as cancer and dementia.
They are working hard on research and development to deal with the disease.
However, there is no doubt that other new diseases will emerge.
We all die eventually, and we cannot avoid illness or injury.
New Insights into Parkinson's Disease
https://nativecamp.net/textbook/page-detail/2/21469
Add info)
New insights into how Parkinson's disease develops in the brain
https://www.tmd.ac.jp/english/press-release/20230814-1/
A)
Researchers at Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) identify potential pathological mechanisms of a familial form of Parkinson's disease caused by mutations in the CHCHD2 gene.
B)
Tokyo, Japan - Parkinson's disease, characterised by various motor dysfunctions, is the world's second most common neurodegenerative disease. Specific gene mutations that run in families are known to be responsible for some cases of Parkinson's disease. But now researchers from Japan have found that this could open the door to new therapies.
C)
In a study published recently in EMBO Molecular Medicine, researchers from Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) have identified the cellular processes likely to lead to Parkinson's disease in patients with mutations in a specific gene.
D)
The motor dysfunctions seen in Parkinson's disease are caused by the death of cells that produce dopamine - an essential molecule for cellular communication - in a region of the brain known as the substantia nigra. Protein aggregates containing a protein called alpha-synuclein form in this region. However, the exact cause and process remain unknown.
E)
Researchers at TMDU decided to investigate these mechanisms in a familial form of Parkinson's disease caused by mutations in CHCHD2, a gene encoding a specific domain containing two CHCHD2 proteins. They induced a CHCHD2 mutation in both cell cultures and mice.
F9
"When we looked at the normal CHCHD2 protein in cells, it was located in the mitochondria, which supply energy to the cell," says Satoru Torii, first author of the study. "But the mutant CHCHD2 was expressed in a very different place - in the cell cytosol, where it recruited another protein called casein kinase one epsilon/delta (Csnk1e/d) and led to the aggregation of phosphorylated alpha-synuclein and neurofilaments."
G)
Because mutant CHCHD2 caused Parkinson's disease-related pathology in cells, the researchers studied its effects in mice using two different methods of expressing mutant CHCHD2. All mice with a CHCHD2 mutation had motor impairment, and their brains showed mislocalised CHCHD2 and aggregated alpha-synuclein in the dopamine-producing cells of the substantia nigra. The same observations were made when the research team looked at a post-mortem brain from a patient with Parkinson's disease caused by a CHCHD2 mutation and in laboratory cell cultures from another patient.
H)
"The most exciting finding for us was that when we inhibited the associated protein Csnk1e/d, we saw motor improvements and fewer PD-related symptoms in the PD mouse model and less pathology in cells grown from a patient with a CHCHD2 gene mutation," explains Shigeomi Shimizu, senior author of the study. "This suggests that it may be possible to delay or even prevent the development of Parkinson's disease in people with this mutation."
I)
Given that there are currently no treatments that effectively slow or stop the progression of Parkinson's disease, the results of this study are very encouraging, especially for patients with CHCHD2 mutations. The results also improve our understanding of how Parkinson's disease can develop in the brain and offer hope to all patients and their families.
J)
Study summary
Researchers at Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) have identified a new pathological mechanism for a familial form of Parkinson's disease caused by a mutation in the CHCHD2 gene. The mutant CHCHD2 protein is mislocalised in cells, leading to alpha-synuclein protein aggregates via interactions with another protein known as Csnk1e/d. These findings suggest that inhibiting Csnk1e/d may slow or halt the development of Parkinson's disease in patients with CHCHD2 mutations, offering new hope to affected families.
