Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Neurology, Parkinson's / 21.06.2022
Parkinson’s Disease: Dual Action of Key Protein Detected
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Vikram Khurana, MD, PhD
Chief of the Division of Movement Disorders
Department of Neurology
Brigham and Harvard Medical School
Principal investigator, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at the Brigham
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Proteins abnormally accumulate in brain cells (neurons and glial cells) in all neurodegenerative diseases. In Parkinson’s disease and related disorders, the key protein that accumulates and aggregates is called “alpha-synuclein.” Presumably, when a protein like alpha-synuclein abnormally folds and aggregates, the abnormal form of the protein can become toxic to the neuron, eventually leading to cell death. Equally, the protein may no longer be able to carry out its normal function.
This begs the question – what does alpha synuclein actually do? Most evidence to date points to alpha-synuclein being involved in the transport of other proteins and chemicals around the cell, by closely associating with vesicles that are small circular containers enclosed by fat (“lipid) membranes. But alpha-synuclein is not just found associated with these vesicle membrane. It is found away from the membrane and it’s been unclear what it does there.
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