Link Between Parkinson’s And Alzheimer’s Diseases May Lead To … – Medical Daily

A similarity betweentwo distinct neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinsonsand Alzheimers, maylead to a potential new drug treatment for Parkinson's.On a biochemical level, thediseases develop when sticky proteins form clumps in brain cells,researchers from Emory Health Sciences said. They found that the same enzyme also spurred the process in both diseases.

In a new studypublished online in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, Emory researchers explain how they used this similarity between Parkinsons and AD to develop a drug that stops tau proteins from becoming sticky and therefore prevents them from clumping together. Although still in its research phase, this would theoretically prevent the onset of AD,as a similar version of it has prevented Alzheimers disease in animal studies. The next step is to test on animals theParkinsons version of a drug to inhibit the enzymeto see if these positive results can be repeated.

Read: Parkinsons Disease Treatment Reverses Symptoms In Mice, Increases Dopamine Receptors

"In Parkinson's, alpha-synuclein behaves much like Tau in Alzheimer's," said study lead research Keqiang Ye, in a statement. "We reasoned that if [the enzyme] AEP cuts Tau, it's very likely that it will cut alpha-synuclein too."

The discovery, though promising, is likely not the ultimate cure for Parkinson's, as AEP, the enzyme it inhibits, is not the only enzyme that leads to toxic build-up of proteins. Still, the implication of this treatment could have many far-reachingbenefits.

According to the Parkinsons Disease Foundation, Parkinsonsis a chronic and progressive disease that specifically affects a patient's movements; abouttwo million Americans livewith thedisease. Parkinson'sdevelops very slowly, and some of the earliest symptoms may include a tremor or uncontrolled shaking of a limb or of the hands, The Mayo Clinic reported. Other symptomsincludeslowed movement, rigid muscles, impaired posture and balance, loss of automatic movements, such as the ability to blink or smile, speech changes, and writing changes.

While the exact cause of the disease is not known, doctors believe there are both genetic and environmental factors at play in an individual's personal risk. The condition is linked to malfunction and death of neurons in the brain that produce dopamine, a hormone associated with movement and coordination. As more neurons are destroyed, a persons dopamine levels gets lower and lower. As a result, they continually lose the ability to control their movement. More serious complications of Parkinsons disease include thinking difficulties, depression, swallowing difficulties, sleep problems, bladder problems, and constipation.

There have been a number of recent innovations in the treatment of Parkinsons disease. For example, earlier this year, scientists were able to improve and even reverse the symptoms of Parkinsonsin mice by using small molecules to reprogram existing brain cells to take over the job of brain cells destroyed by the disease. Once again, this research has yet to be done on humans, but together with the new study, recentfindings are promising for both those with Parkinsons disease and their loved ones.

Source: Zhang Z, Kang SS, Liu X, et al. Asparagine endopeptidase cleaves -synuclein and mediates pathologic activities in Parkinson's disease. Nature Structural and Molecular Biology. 2017

See Also:

Sleep Disorder May Be Early Sign Of Parkinsons Disease And Other Neurological Conditions

Symptoms Of Parkinsons 2016: Early Warning Signs Of The Disease

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Link Between Parkinson's And Alzheimer's Diseases May Lead To ... - Medical Daily