Authors: Maria Xilouri, Tereza Vogiatzi, Kostas Vekrellis, David Park, Leonidas Stefanis
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005515
Abstract Summary
Mutant α-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease impairs a cellular cleanup system called chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA), triggering a harmful compensatory response. Using neuronal cell models, researchers found that blocking these lysosomal dysfunctions reduced α-synuclein toxicity, suggesting CMA restoration could be a therapeutic target for Parkinson’s and related disorders.
Why Brain? 🧠
Mutant α-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease kills neurons by blocking chaperone-mediated autophagy, triggering harmful compensatory responses. Restoring this cellular cleanup pathway may offer new treatment targets.
The image is AI-generated for illustrative purposes only. Courtesy of Midjourney.
