New Study Attempts to Interrupt Parkinson's Disease

Doctor Krainc stated that in order to determine proper treatments for the condition it is important to understand how and why dopamine neurons die. Most previous studies have indicated that cell death is caused by mitochondria and lysosomes.

Krainc and his team were able to identify the cascade of mitochondrial and lysosomal dysfunction through the accumulation of oxidized dopamine as well as a protein called alpha-synuclein. This study let the group see that an accumulation of oxidized dopamine depressed the activity of an enzyme called lysosomal glucocerebrosidase. That depression in turn weakened overall lysosomal function and contributed to destruction of neurons.