Brain: Scientists have revealed a molecular link between inflammation and Parkinson's disease.

12, 2020 // -- In a recent study published in the international journal Brain, scientists from the University of Luxembourg and other institutions revealed a link between inflammation and specific genetic mutations in the body of patients with Parkinson's disease.
About 15% of Parkinson's disease cases are related to known genetic backgrounds, with mutations in the Parkin and PINK1 genes being the most common causes, so revealing the cellular mechanisms altered by genetic mutations may be important for developing new therapeutic tools, researchers said in the study. Analysis of the serums of 245 participants in two separate studies found increased levels of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and interlebinin 6 (IL-6) circulating in the body of patients with mutations in the Parkin or PINK1 gene.
Photo Source: University of Luxembourg Researchers Point out that the absence of Parkin or PINK1 proteins may lead to impaired mitochondrial autophagy, and abnormal mitochondrial levels induce the release of mitochondrial DNA, which induces inflammation and increases the patient's machine Levels of IL-6 in the body's blood, when reached in the brain, are thought to play a crucial role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, and the results of this paper suggest that anti-inflammatory drugs are used to treat or hopefully slow the progression of the disease in patients with Parkinson's disease.
By studying the differences between patients carrying Parkin or PINK1 gene mutations on one chromosome (hybrid) or two chromosomes, the researchers found that detecting levels of systemic inflammation in the patient's blood or as a special biomarker indicating the genetic form of these Parkinson's diseases showed higher levels of IL-6 in both chromosomes than in patients with mutations on both chromosomes, but higher levels in patients with hybrids compared to healthy control populations. Levels of IL-6 in the body have also increased significantly, which may indicate that hemp mutations may form a strong risk factor for early Parkinson's disease, and even before these hybrid carrier diseases occur, researchers can detect disease at an early stage by monitoring levels of IL-6 in their body serum, similarly, circulating gland DNA levels or as an effective indicator of the progression of disease in hybrid Parkin/PINK1 mutants.
The study has potential clinical application value and significance by detecting biomarkers present in the patient's body serum or helping to indicate the progression of the disease, and the findings are expected to help researchers develop new therapies that target patients with Parkin/PINK1-related congenital immunological responses, said Grünewald, a researcher.
() Original source: Max Borsche, Inke R König, Sylvie Delcambre, et al. Mitochondrial damage-associated highlights biomarkers in PRKN/PINK1 Parkinsonism, Brain (2020). DOI: 10.1093/brain/awaa246.