In a novel research study conducted by a team from the Neuroregeneration Institute at McLean Hospital, investigators believe they have found key brain cell type changes involving lipids, inflammation, and the development of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Their findings appear in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

Study Highlights

·New PD model breaks conventional thinking about the roots of Parkinson’s disease and may lead to development of new therapies
·Lipids, which have long been identified as key culprits in cardiovascular disease and inflammation in the body, may also play a similar role in the development of PD
·Brain glial cells and dopamine neurons show changes in PD that can be modeled by increasing glycolipids in animal models
·Identifying lipid transport changes as a key event in PD, aging, and dementias can focus efforts for identifying people at risk and providing them with medical interventions earlier than before