Parkinson's Disease May Start in the Intestines, New Rat Study Concludes

Parkinson's disease is characterised by slowly destroying the brain due to the accumulation of the protein alpha-synuclein and the subsequent damage to nerve cells. The disease leads to shaking, muscle stiffness, and characteristic slow movements of sufferers. In the new research project, the researchers used genetically modified laboratory rats which overexpress large amounts of the alpha-synuclein protein. These rats have an increased propensity to accumulate harmful varieties of alpha-synuclein protein and to develop symptoms similar to those seen in Parkinson's patients. The researchers initiated the process by injecting alpha-synuclein into the small intestines of the rats. According to professor Per Borghammer and postdoc Nathalie Van Den Berge, the experiment was intended to demonstrate that the protein would subsequently spread in a predictable fashion to the brain. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/parkinsons-disease-may-start-in-the-intestines-new-rat-study-conclude-323541?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=76420548&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_c3x2J88tmAtDSrnQa1yobGoU_-uIpY0tGFACMsPS7Wg4Deg2n_dDyMubuqLxWmlFs2w0Adj6fcXbnhOrsbfZYO1MT3A&_hsmi=76420548