Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Is Blocking Mitochondrial Fission an Effective Treatment for Parkinson's Disease?

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A comparison of healthy and damaged mitochondria.


     On Novermber 5, 2014, a study led at Plymouth University in the UK discovered that the inhibition of a particular mitochondrial fission protein could hold the key to potential treatment of Parkinson's Disease (PD).  PD is a disorder of the brain that effects the body's movement.  In the UK, about 127,000 individuals have been diagnosed with PD.  This disease is primarily due to the death of brian cells.  At the conclusion of these deaths, dopamine (nerotransmitters) production is reduced.  Due to this reduction and lack of communication between nerve cells, results in difficulty in movement control.  Additionally, mitochondria are small strutures located inside the nerve cells with the primary goal of keeping the cell working properly and healthy.  A balance of mitochondrial fission/fusion is critical to cell function and viability.  
     The research team found that when a particular mitochodrial fission protein (GTPase dynamic-related protein-1 - Drp1) was blocked using gene-therapy, it reduced both cell death and the deficits in dopamine release.  Ultimately, this blockage allowed the reversing of PD, thus suggesting that finding a strategy to inhibit Drp1 could be a potential treatment for PD.  Claire Bale a research Communications Manager at Parkinson's UK said, "This study,which reveals a potential new drug target to protect mitochondria, is a promisisng step towards slowing down or stopping the progression of Parkinson's."
     I found this article to be quite interesting because it is still unclear as to how these findings will be able to potentially put a stop to Parkinson's disease.  With the acquiring of this information, I hope to some day in the future see a developed drug that can target the blockage of dopamine, thus preventing Parkinson's Disease.

Main Article:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141105093500.htm

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