PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 5-Nov-2014 Contact: Andrew Gould andrew.gould@plymouth.ac.uk University of Plymouth @PlymUni A study led by a researcher from Plymouth University in the UK, has discovered that the inhibition of a particular mitochondrial fission protein could hold the key to potential treatment for Parkinson's Disease (PD). The findings of the research are published today, 5th November 2014, in Nature Communications. PD is a progressive neurological condition that affects movement. At present there is no cure and little understanding of why some people get the condition. In the UK one on 500 people, around 127,000, have PD. The debilitating movement symptoms of the disease are primarily caused by the death of a type of brain cell that produces a chemical called dopamine. This brain chemical (also known as a neurotransmitter) helps nerve cells to send signals to other nerve cells. A reduction in dopamine from cell death results in a lack of communication between nerve cells, which in turn leads to difficulty in movement control. Understanding why these nerve cells die or do not work properly could lead to new therapies for PD. Mitochondria are small structures within nerve cells that help keep the cells healthy and working properly they are, … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 5-Nov-2014 Contact: Vilhelm Bohr bohrV@grc.nia.nih.gov 410-558-8162 University of Copenhagen The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences New Danish-led research suggests that signs of brain aging can be postponed in mice if placed on a high-fat diet. In the long term, this opens the possibility of treatment of children suffering from premature aging and patients with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The research project is headed by the Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen and the National Institute of Health. When we get older, defects begin to develop in our nervous system, our brain loses some of its intellectual capacity, and the risk of developing diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's increases. Alzheimer's disease is currently the fastest-growing age-related disease. Throughout our lives, it is important that our cells to the extent possible keep our DNA undamaged, and, therefore, the cells have a system that repairs the damage that occurs all the time. Humans age when the repair system ceases to function. In diseases such as Alzheimer's, the researchers also see damage to the DNA A new research project headed by the Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen and the National Institute of Health has studied mice … Continue reading →