A study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests that a compound found naturally in herbs and fruit might show potential as a treatment for Parkinson's disease.
A need for new drugs to treat Parkinson's disease
A cure for the progressive neurodegenerative disorder Parkinson's disease is yet to be discovered. Consequently, therapeutics currently prescribed for patients are symptomatic only; they aim to alleviate the symptoms of the condition, which can include tremor, bradykinesia (slowed movement) rigid muscles and speech changes. These medications cannot target the root cause of Parkinson's disease – neuronal death in a brain region known as the substantia nigra.
The discovery of novel therapeutics is therefore an important goal for this area of research. Now, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Medicine have contributed to a growing body of work that suggests farnesol may be a compound of interest for treating Parkinson's disease.
Screening existing drug libraries
"We initially sought to identify PARIS inhibitors as new treatments for Parkinson's disease," Professor Ted Dawson, director of the Institute for Cell Engineering at Johns Hopkins Medicine told Technology Networks.
PARIS is an acronym for the protein parkin-interacting substrate, which accumulates in the brain of Parkinson's disease patients and reduces the production of a second protein – PGC-1alpha – that shields neurons from reactive oxygen molecules. A reduction in PGC-1alpha levels ultimately leads to the death of dopamine neurons. "We and others have shown in multiple models of Parkinson's disease that PARIS plays a central role in pathophysiology by inhibiting PGC-1 alpha, a key regulator of mitochondrial health," explained Dawson.