Sometimes we search for the solution to a problem in a distant place, whereas the solution remains right beside our eyes. Similarly, scientists have been doing endless researches and studies to find out a treatment for Parkinson's disease but recently have realized that the solution may come from within us.
The researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden revealed an alternative way of treating Parkinson's disease, which involves reprogramming some particular brain cells into the nerve cells that are affected by the condition. In other words, scientists have successfully reprogrammed genes and delivered them into astrocytes. These are the brain cells that are able to decrease the motor symptoms found in Parkinson's disease. The entire research was conducted on a mice model.
Before we go deeper in the research and its findings, let's first know what Parkinson's disease really is. It's a progressive neurodegenerative disease. In this condition, the dopamine-producing nerve cells of the brain get damaged completely. These nerve cells are responsible for our movements. Patients with Parkinson's disease, thus, face tremor in any body movements, experience difficulties in maintaining body balance, and suffer from muscle stiffness.
More than 10 million people around the world are suffering from the disease. There is no cure to this condition; however, treatments and therapies are available to treat the symptoms. The most common treatment involves injecting drugs to compensate the loss of dopamine in the brain but these drugs loss effectiveness in the long run. Another way to treat the disease is replacing the affected dopaminergic neurons by cell therapies, which is still at a nascent stage.
Both of these techniques involve sending a foreign element inside the body. Karolinska Institutet scientists have found a way to treat the disease with something that is already there in our body. They reprogrammed the brain cells in vivo in order to create dopamine in a mice model with Parkinson's disease-like symptoms. The process involves delivering a particular set of cocktail genes into the cells, so they can rewrite the cells identity, which turn them into the desired cell type.
The team of scientists at the Karolinska Institutet focused on three genes LMX1A, NEUROD1, and ASCL1. When combined with a microRNA miR218, these genes were able to reprogram astrocytes cells into induced dopaminergic neurons (iDANs). These cells acted like the desired cell type, which gave the scientists hope that they could be used to reprogram astrocytes into iDANs in human brain. The scientists then proceeded to test the formula in mice. They were given a drug to kill their dopaminergic neurons to give them Parkinson's disease-like symptoms.
The researchers injected viruses in order to deliver the reprogrammed cocktail cells to astrocytes in the brain. A couple of weeks later, they tested the mice and found out that some affected astrocytes had turned into iDANs. Moreover, these new neurons were functioning absolutely fine. The study shows that the process is effective to reduce the movement issues in the mice. While the research with the technique is still at the initial stage, scientists are hoping that by implementing some major safety measures, they would be able to treat Parkinson's disease in human soon. The research findings were published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.
The researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden revealed an alternative way of treating Parkinson's disease, which involves reprogramming some particular brain cells into the nerve cells that are affected by the condition. In other words, scientists have successfully reprogrammed genes and delivered them into astrocytes. These are the brain cells that are able to decrease the motor symptoms found in Parkinson's disease. The entire research was conducted on a mice model.
Before we go deeper in the research and its findings, let's first know what Parkinson's disease really is. It's a progressive neurodegenerative disease. In this condition, the dopamine-producing nerve cells of the brain get damaged completely. These nerve cells are responsible for our movements. Patients with Parkinson's disease, thus, face tremor in any body movements, experience difficulties in maintaining body balance, and suffer from muscle stiffness.
More than 10 million people around the world are suffering from the disease. There is no cure to this condition; however, treatments and therapies are available to treat the symptoms. The most common treatment involves injecting drugs to compensate the loss of dopamine in the brain but these drugs loss effectiveness in the long run. Another way to treat the disease is replacing the affected dopaminergic neurons by cell therapies, which is still at a nascent stage.
Both of these techniques involve sending a foreign element inside the body. Karolinska Institutet scientists have found a way to treat the disease with something that is already there in our body. They reprogrammed the brain cells in vivo in order to create dopamine in a mice model with Parkinson's disease-like symptoms. The process involves delivering a particular set of cocktail genes into the cells, so they can rewrite the cells identity, which turn them into the desired cell type.
The team of scientists at the Karolinska Institutet focused on three genes LMX1A, NEUROD1, and ASCL1. When combined with a microRNA miR218, these genes were able to reprogram astrocytes cells into induced dopaminergic neurons (iDANs). These cells acted like the desired cell type, which gave the scientists hope that they could be used to reprogram astrocytes into iDANs in human brain. The scientists then proceeded to test the formula in mice. They were given a drug to kill their dopaminergic neurons to give them Parkinson's disease-like symptoms.
The researchers injected viruses in order to deliver the reprogrammed cocktail cells to astrocytes in the brain. A couple of weeks later, they tested the mice and found out that some affected astrocytes had turned into iDANs. Moreover, these new neurons were functioning absolutely fine. The study shows that the process is effective to reduce the movement issues in the mice. While the research with the technique is still at the initial stage, scientists are hoping that by implementing some major safety measures, they would be able to treat Parkinson's disease in human soon. The research findings were published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.