Researchers in the United States have shown
that a compound found in fruit - farnesol - has the potential to play a
protective role to dopamine-producing brain cells.
Research
results published in the journal of
Science Translational Medicine uncover important insights to
how a naturally occurring compound could pave the way for potential treatments
to slow or stop Parkinson’s.
Protecting brain cells
In Parkinson’s, vital
brain cells are lost over time but it isn’t completely clear what’s causing
this. One clue is that damaging agents build up within cells over time to cause
problems.
Previous research has
shown that in the brain cells of people with Parkinson’s, there is a buildup of
a protein called PARIS, which reduces the protection of cells from damaging
agents.
What do the latest
results show?
In this study,
researchers tested a large number of drugs and natural compounds to see if any
stopped the build up of this protein. Farnesol was selected and further
investigated to see if stopping PARIS had a protective effect on brain
cells.
Researchers used a
mouse model of Parkinson’s to understand the impact of a diet enriched with
farnesol. The results showed that the animals receiving the farnesol diet
compared to the normal diet had less damage to their dopamine producing brain
cells. The mice showed improvement in strength and coordination tasks,
too.
Professor David
Dexter, Associate Director of Research at Parkinson's UK said:
"Parkinson's is
what happens when dopamine producing cells in the brain die, so this study is
important as it highlights a new pathway that could target and protect these
brain cells in a person with Parkinson's.
"145,000
people are currently living with Parkinson's in the UK and it is the fastest
growing neurological condition in the world, so the need for a new treatment
which could slow or stop Parkinson's in its tracks has never been more urgent.
Designing more potent drugs which replicate the action of the natural compound
- farnesol - would be the next steps for researchers to progress this into
clinical trials and potentially hold the key for a groundbreaking new
treatment."
