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Neurodegenerative Disease
Parkinson's Disease
Exploring the underlying mechanisms, alpha-synuclein pathology, and dopaminergic neuron degeneration characteristic of Parkinson's disease.
1. Biological Overview
Named after the physician who initially described the disease, Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that results in uncontrollable tremors or movements that typically develop gradually. The disease may onset with just a slight hand tremor but then progress over time to severe motor dysfunction requiring full-time care.
With tens of millions of people living with PD worldwide, researchers are focusing on developing therapeutics, investigating cures, and teasing apart potential causes of PD to better understand the mechanism of disease.
2. Mechanisms & Pathology
Current research suggests that Parkinson’s results from neuronal death in the substantia nigra region of the basal ganglia in the brain. These cells have many critical functions including the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter used to respond to fine motor stimuli.
PD is characterized by low levels of dopamine, contributing to the observed “slowness” in the movements of someone living with PD. For this reason, treatment approaches have historically targeted the dopamine pathway or aimed to supplement dopamine levels to alleviate these motor symptoms.
3. Causes & Risk Factors
The causes of Parkinson’s are still an area of active investigation for researchers and physicians. While genetics and environmental risk factors have been connected to the development of PD, there is still a lot of uncertainty about how these risk factors interact to initiate the onset of the disease.
Alpha-Synuclein & Lewy Bodies
Studies have found that alpha-synuclein, a protein critical for neurotransmitter release, will form clumps of misfolded proteins (referred to as “Lewy bodies”) in the neurons of an individual living with idiopathic PD. These formations of defective alpha-synuclein have been shown to induce cellular toxicity and even cell death. Unfortunately, what causes this protein dysfunction is still unknown. Interestingly, these Lewy bodies are not found in genetic cases of PD, further adding to the mystery of the contribution of alpha-synuclein to PD manifestations.
4. Progression & Treatment
Most individuals living with Parkinson’s will live a normal lifespan. Thankfully, this disease is particularly slow to develop, and supportive care is only required in the later stages of the disease. At this time, there are no known ways to reduce your risk of developing PD, and efforts are focused on earlier detection of disease onset to slow the disease progression.
Medication
Treatment approaches often target supplementation of dopamine, dopamine agonists, or other dopamine pathway targets to lessen disease symptoms and improve quality of life.
Exercise
Evidence strongly suggests that physical exercise aids in keeping balance, mobility, and flexibility maintained to improve disease progression and manage non-motor symptoms.
Surgery
If medication and exercise are not effective, surgical options like Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) remain for late-stage PD cases to stimulate regions of the brain implicated in movement.
5. Common Reagents in Parkinson's Research
Continued research specific to PD will play a critical role in the development of better treatments and any potential cures or disease reversal agents. Biorbyt offers a comprehensive range of highly validated antibodies and reagents to support your neuroscience research.
| Target / Protein | Description & Quick Links |
|---|---|
| Parkin E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase | View Parkin Antibodies > |
| PARK2 Parkinson juvenile disease protein 2 | View PARK2 Antibodies > |
| Alpha Synuclein Major component of Lewy bodies | View Synuclein Antibodies > |
| ATP13A2 Probable cation-transporting ATPase 13A2 | View ATP13A2 Antibodies > |
| GIGYF2 GRB10-interacting GYF protein 2 | View GIGYF2 Antibodies > |
Need support with your Parkinson's research?
Are you or your research group performing Parkinson’s-related research? Reach out to Biorbyt’s scientific support team to schedule a consultation and see how our reagents may support your team’s needs.
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