Scientists Have Identified A Gene That Could Prevent Parkinson's Disease In Humans

Scientists from the University of Geneva have successfully identified a gene that could lead to the prevention of Parkinson's Disease. The new study was published in journal "Nature Communications" after finding a key protein in flies and mice that helps prevent Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's Disease is a neurodegenerative disorder wherein the dopaminergic neurons in a person's brain are obliterated within a specific population.

Most cases of Parkinson's disease are a result of interaction between numerous genetic and environmental risk factors. The basic premise of the disease is the deterioration of mitochondria in dopaminergic neurons.

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Preventing Parkinson's disease in humans

Emi Nagoshi, Professor in the Department of Genetics and Evolution at the UNIGE Faculty of Science used the fruit fly (drosophila) to study the degeneration of neurons. Nagoshi's team focused on the Fer2 gene, whose mutation is suspected to cause Parkinson's through processes not completely understood yet.

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The Fer2 gene is responsible for encoding a protein that is responsible for other genes. The absence of Fer2 gene is responsible for triggering Parkinson's-like conditions among flies. So, the scientists wanted to see if extra Fer2 in the cells could have a protective effect.

Also read: China's E-Nose: World's First Artificial Nose To Find Parkinson's Disease Early

When tested on flies, they found that Fer2's extra presence prevented the oxidative stress on the flies, confirming their hypothesis. To check whether Fer2 works similarly in mammals, biologists created mutants of the Fer2 homolog in the dopaminergic neurons of mice.

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"We are currently testing the protective role of the Fer2 homolog in mice and results similar to those observed in flies would allow us to consider a new therapeutic target for Parkinson¡¯s disease patients," ANI quoted Emi Nagoshi as saying.

Also read: Scientists Train Rats To Drive Tiny Cars Towards Food, And How It May Help Cure Parkinson's

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References

ANI. (2022b, March 19). Scientists identity gene that could prevent Parkinson¡¯s disease. ThePrint.