Scientist have managed to discover the real cause of Parkinson's disease after 15 years of intense research. The joint study conducted by many scientists from different universities, indicated the disease is related to the shape of a protein in the brain. The study performed on mice revealed that when the protein alpha-synuclein accumulates within a brain cell, it interferes with the normal functioning of the cell and causes Parkinson's disease. The study's authors said this accumulation occurs over time and has a different effect on the neural network. They added that a blood test or spinal fluid test that can accurately diagnose Parkinson's disease can be developed within five to 10 years.
The president of the University of Paris-Saclay's Neurology Institute, Ronald Melki, told an Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent that Parkinson's is a slow-growing disease, which is why it is almost impossible to diagnose it early. The French scientist and physician said Parkinson's disease causes various problems, including involuntary shaking, posture disorders and speech impediments, and said there is no recovery as they cannot yet transplant nerves into the brain. Stressing the importance of the study, Melki said they will begin searching for a cure as they finally understand what causes the disease. He added that they will work on producing certain anticorps or molecules to change the shapes of the accumulated proteins in brain cells. The results of the study were published in the medical journal Nature.
