Early spread of Parkinson’s disease recreated in new model

Researchers at the Van Andel institute (Grand Rapids, MI, USA) have developed a new laboratory model of Parkinson’s disease that could give scientists an idea of what occurs in the brain years before motor symptoms appear. The model demonstrates the gradual spread of abnormal alpha-synuclein proteins, which are strongly associated with Parkinson’s disease. By the time symptoms of Parkinson’s disease appear, more than half of brain cells involved in the production of dopamine have died. Although it is currently unknown what triggers this process, evidence suggests  a combination of genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors, with strong evidence proposing that clumps...