Degenerative disease researchers make breakthrough in bid to find treatment for Parkinson's and Huntington's

Researchers discover enzyme in brain inhibits activity of drug-like lead compound for Huntington's Disease Team say findings demonstrate it can be developed as effective treatment for neurodegenerative diseases Took five years for the team to establish a crsytal structure of the enzyme for the first time ever

By James Rush

PUBLISHED: 13:52 EST, 10 April 2013 | UPDATED: 13:52 EST, 10 April 2013

Researchers have made a major breakthrough in the search for treatments for degenerative illnesses such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease (file picture posed by models)

A major breakthrough has been made by researchers seeking treatments for degenerative illnesses such as Parkinson's Disease.

Researchers at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology have detailed how an enzyme in the brain interacts with a drug-like lead compound for Huntington's Disease to inhibit its activity.

The team said their findings demonstrate that it can be developed as an effective treatment for neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Working with colleagues at the University of Leicester and the University of Lisbon in Portugal, the researchers identified the molecular structure of the enzyme kynurenine 3-monooxygense (KMO), which is found in the human brain.

It took five years for the team to establish the crystal structure of KMO - the first time it's ever been done.

The scientists, who published the research in the journal Nature, then studied how the compound UPF 648 binds tightly to the enzyme to act as an inhibitor.

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Degenerative disease researchers make breakthrough in bid to find treatment for Parkinson's and Huntington's