Slowing Parkinson's by Blocking a Key Protein
Neuroscience News • • health
Key Points:
- Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania identified the protein GPNMB as a key driver in the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD), facilitating the spread of toxic alpha-synuclein clumps between neurons.
- Microglia, the brain’s immune cells, produce increased GPNMB near injured neurons, which accelerates alpha-synuclein pathology and creates a self-reinforcing cycle of neurodegeneration.
- Blocking GPNMB with monoclonal antibodies in preclinical models successfully interrupted the spread of alpha-synuclein, suggesting a potential disease-modifying therapy for PD.
- Analysis of 1,675 human brains showed that genetic variants leading to higher GPNMB levels correlate with more extensive alpha-synuclein pathology, specifically in Parkinson’s disease but not in other neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
- While promising, further research is needed before translating these findings into human treatments, but the study represents a significant step toward slowing PD progression at its earliest stages.