Parkinson's cure 'step closer'

Scientists have said they are "one step closer to a cure" for Parkinson's disease thanks to university stem cell research.

A team at the University of Bedfordshire said they are now able to identify the contribution of different elements inside a single brain cell which are responsible for the development of Parkinson's disease.

Dr Bushra Ahmed and a group of research students identified that Parkinson's sufferers' brain cells, or neurons, are dying. This is because the neurons in the brain's movement-control region cannot detoxify the harmful substances produced during metabolic reactions.

The next step is to take the giant leap into protecting a cell from death which may ultimately lead to discovering a cure.

During Dr Ahmed's research it was uncovered that Parkinson's sufferers' neurons are overloaded with excessive everyday toxic by-products.

These by-products are harmlessly managed in a healthy individual, but Parkinson's sufferers' neurons are damaged when they meet them.

The process is known as Oxidative Stress.

It is the Oxidative Stress which causes Parkinson's sufferers' brain cells to die, and this leads to messages that control movement and balance to be disrupted.

The team distinguished the "damaging connection" after creating specific neurons that make dopamine - the chemical messenger or happy hormone - with stem cell technology.

Dr Ahmed, from the Department of Life Sciences, said: "My aim was to identify what specific elements inside the cell are responsible for cell death in this way. What we have found far exceeded expectations in terms of firmly identifying the key factors in the causes of Parkinson's disease.

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Parkinson's cure 'step closer'