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| Neurons |
Maya Yarowsky, NoCamels | Oct, 20 2014
Basing
their research on previous studies that showed amylin is also found in the
brain and is related to Alzheimer’s disease when it clumps together, Miller
discovered that this same hormone could cause Parkinson’s in patients with
diabetes. “Our findings led us to the hypothesis that if amylin is located in
the brain it can also interact with other proteins and peptides in the brain,”
Miller tells ISRAEL21c.
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| Dr. Yifat Miller |
From
here, Miller and her team observed how NAC, which is part of a protein called
alpha-synuclein, led to the death of neurons at an atomic level. By mapping the
atomic structure of NAC and showing how it aggregates itself throughout the
brain, Miller revealed for the first time the clumping mechanism in the brain
that leads to Parkinson’s disease. All that was left was for her and her team
to show that the presence of amylin in the brain and pancreas, and its clumping
habits, could be the explanation for why Type II diabetics are at higher risk
of contracting neurodegenerative diseases.
The first step on the road to an effective Parkinson’s treatment?
Using
sophisticated computer simulations to examine how NAC interacts with amylin in
the brain, Miller was able to support her conclusion that the synergy between
these elements is what explains the higher neurodegenerative risk for diabetes
patients. “We propose that NAC and amylin aggregate together and kill neuron
cells, and these aggregates lead to Parkinson’s disease,” says Miller,
clarifying that its NAC and amylin taken together that increase the risk of
developing the disease.
Miller’s
findings on the NAC-amylin interaction were confirmed in experiments, and she
hopes that they will be used by other researchers to produce more effective
Parkinson’s medication. “Publishing our results will allow other scientists to
use this information to learn more about Parkinson’s, its mechanisms and
possible drugs to reduce aggregation. Now one could develop a drug to prevent
this interaction so the risk of diabetes will not lead to the risk of
Parkinson’s,” says Miller.
Though
the research conducted by Miller and her laboratory has yet to be published, it
is some of the first to effectively examine the mechanism that causes
Parkinson’s disease, a novel endeavor that has won her grants from the European
Union Seventh Framework Programme, among other scientific bodies. While it is
still unclear what about diabetes, besides the presence of the amylin hormone,
triggers a higher risk for Parkinson’s disease, Miller and her team are well on
their way to finding out.
Photos:
Image
Editor/ Dani Machlis, BGU/ Open Knowledge
http://nocamels.com/2014/10/israelis-discover-clear-link-between-diabetes-and-parkinsons-disease/
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