( Two independent research groups have fo...)Researchers Have Found New Methods To Treat Parkinson’s Diseas,Health

Two independent research groups have found that they have found new methods, which will pave way for treating Parkinson’s disease//. They claimed that a gene linked to inherited Parkinson's works by disabling a cell's mitochondria.

According to foodconsumer.org, mitochondria are the power centers of the cells. They are structures within cells that provide the energy a cell needs to move, divide and produce proteins.

In earlier studies, researchers had found that inherited Parkinson's is caused by mutations in the PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) gene.

Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder caused by degeneration of nerve cells in the part of the brain that controls movement. First described as "the shaking palsy" in 1817, it affects an estimated 500,000 Americans, with 50,000 new cases reported each year. It is the second most common neurodegenerative disease; only Alzheimer's strikes more people.

Both research teams showed that flies without a functional PINK1 gene have defects in mitochondria that trigger muscle problems and, according to one team, degeneration of neurons that produce dopamine.

In addition, both research groups show that the PINK1 protein acts upstream of Parkin, another protein linked to the sporadic forms of Parkinson's. These two proteins appear to act in a common pathway involved in maintaining mitochondrial function.

"We found that when you remove PINK 1, the animals are alive, but they have defects in mitochondria," said lead author of the first report Dr. Ming Guo, an assistant professor of neurology at UCLA. "In addition, we found that Parkin and PINK 1 function in the same pathway," she added.

In the second report, Korean researchers had similar findings.

"Our study, using Drosophila [fruit fly] model, revealed that two distinct gene products, Parkin and PINK1, converge in a common pathway in maintaining mitochondrial integrity and
'"/>




Page: 1 2
Related medicine news :

1. Researchers urge caution in using ear tube surgery
2. Researchers Scale to assess the Severity of Epilepsy in Kids
3. Researchers trick Alzheimers Enzyme
4. Researchers find new HIV hiding place
5. New Hair in 15 Days Could Now Be A Possibility Say Researchers
6. Researchers developed world’s smallest toothbrus
7. Researchers discover receptor cells that can cause epilepsy
8. 15 Anti-SARS Drugs Identified By China-Europe Team of Researchers
9. Researchers reversed the process of memory loss
10. Researchers Identify Key Gene That May Help Brain Treatment
11. Researchers Discover Protein That Causes Malaria