Neuron generation linked to gene defect in Parkinson's

Friday March 26th 2021

New treatments for Parkinson’s disease could be developed after scientists made new discoveries about a faulty gene linked to the disease.

The defect may impair the process that generates neurons in the brain throughout an individual’s lifetime, researchers reported.

The findings of the international study, led by the University of Sheffield’s Neuroscience Institute, could have a significant impact for people who develop the illness due to PINK1 defect or similar gene defects.

Writing in Scientific Reports, the research team describe using two model systems to measure how inactivation of the PINK1 gene affects dopamine-producing neurons, which are the most severely affected brain cells in Parkinson’s disease.

Professor Oliver Bandmann, professor of movement disorders neurology at the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), said: “Neurogenesis is the process by which new neurons are formed in the brain. Recent evidence suggests that this process is ongoing throughout life but the relevance of this is poorly understood in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

“We know that mutations in the PINK1 gene cause an early onset, inherited form of Parkinson’s disease. If we can further our understanding about the impact of this genetic mutation on the dopamine-producing neurons we can develop new therapeutic approaches that aim to mitigate those effects.”

Working with the University of Luxembourg, researchers used two complementary model systems to examine how neurons are reproduced throughout our lifetime.

Professor Marysia Placzek, professor of developmental neurobiology in the Department of Biomedical Science, said they used zebrafish to demonstrate that dopamine-producing neurons are generated into adulthood at a rate that decreases with age and that PINK1-deficiency impairs neurogenesis of these neurons, significantly in early adult life.

These results were confirmed by international collaborators in a human organoid cell model.

“This study attests to the power of using simple model organisms for pre-clinical translational research,” she said.

The research was funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), Parkinson’s UK and the Wellcome Trust.

Scientific Reports 24 March 2021

Tags: Brain & Neurology | Genetics | UK News

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