New Hope For Parkinson's in Understanding Causes Of Cell Death
To the left several cross sections of a mouse brain are shown. In the dark labeled areas the scientists of the Max Planck Institute were able to selectively eliminate the receptor for a specific neurotrophic factor. In the background neurons that would also die due to Parkinson's disease, but have been positively affected by GDNF and its receptor, are shown. (Credit: Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology)

Science Daily — Uncontrolled neuronal death in the brain often gives rise to neurodegenerative illnesses like Parkinson or Alzheimer disease. Whether or not neurons have a long and healthy life is, apart from other factors, determined by the presence of neurotrophic factors.

Scientists of the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology have now provided unambiguous proof that the presence of the neurotrophic factor GDNF and its receptor Ret are essential for the survival of neurons in a specific brain region. In mice the researchers inactivated the receptors of two neurotrophic factors in the substantia nigra, an area in which early cell death gives rise to Parkinson disease. The brains of these mice developed normally, however in the adult animal a significant decrease of dopaminergic neurons was observed over time, similar to what is seen in patients suffering form Parkinson disease.

Parkinson patients suffer from loss of dopaminergic neurons in a certain region of the brain, the substantia nigra. Several experiments seem to indicate that the neurotrophic factor GDNF and its receptor might prevent an early, uncontrolled death of these neurons. The international team consisting of Edgar Kramer, Liviu Aron, Sabine Seitz und Rüdiger Klein of the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology has now shown that neurons of the substantia nigra lacking the Ret-receptor indeed suffer an earlier death compared to normal control neurons. Loss of nerve cells and axons in this brain region is typical for Parkinson disease....[MORE]