An article by an international group of researchers led by scientists from the Karolinska Institute (Sweden) is published in the journal Nature genetics.
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For many years, researchers have been compiling a systematic “map” of nerve cells located in various parts of the body and involved in the development of neurological and psychiatric diseases. The fact is that the nervous system consists of hundreds of varieties of cells, each of which has its own functions. Therefore, in order to understand the causes of diseases and develop new approaches to their treatment, it is very important to understand what types of neurons are associated with each specific disease.
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It was previously known that the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are associated with the destruction and death of neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine in certain parts of the brain. As expected, dopaminergic neurons are indeed involved in the development of the disease. However, in addition to them, to the surprise of scientists, an important role in Parkinson’s disease is also played by neurons located in the intestine, changes in which appear at an early stage of the disease. “This finding supports the hypothesis that Parkinson’s disease begins in the gut,” said one of the leading authors, Professor Patrick Sullivan.
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Moreover, when Sullivan and his colleagues analyzed brain tissue samples from healthy people and patients with Parkinson’s disease at different stages of the disease, they made another unexpected discovery: at the very early stages of the disease, oligodendrocytes, auxiliary cells necessary to support and support neurons. Pathological changes in oligodendrocytes begin even before the destruction of dopaminergic neurons begins. Scientists have suggested that oligodendrocytes may be the target for new drugs against Parkinson’s disease.
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