Research Alert
Summary: Investigators have identified two molecules naturally produced by the body that stimulate the production of dopamine, the molecule that is in short supply in the brains of patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Highlights:
- The Nurr1 protein maintains thehealth of neurons that produce dopamine and die off during the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
- Hormone-like compounds called prostaglandin A1 and E1 bind to and activate Nurr1.
- Prostaglandin A1 or E1 treatment lessened symptoms in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease.
Researcher: Kwang-Soo Kim, PhD, Director, Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory McLean Hospital and Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School.
Journal: Nature Chemical Biology
DOI: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41589-020-0553-6#citeas
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