Discovery could lead to new treatments for Parkinson’s, other brain diseases

Study reveals crucial role of alpha-synuclein protein in DNA repair

By Erik Robinson July 29, 2019 Portland, Oregon

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Vivek Unni, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of neurology in the OHSU School of Medicine, January 26, 2012. (OHSU/Caitlin Carlson)

Vivek Unni, M.D., Ph.D.

Vivek Unni, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of neurology in the OHSU School of Medicine, January 26, 2012. (OHSU/Caitlin Carlson)

Parkinson's research

A mouse model of Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies shows abnormal aggregated alpha-synuclein Lewy pathology within neurons in the brain’s hippocampus. New research suggests that alpha-nuclein proteins repair DNA breaks within the nucleus of brain cells. When they cluster outside the nucleus, as shown here, it can lead to cellular dysfunction and death. (OHSU)