HOME >> BIOLOGY >> NEWS
An embryonic stem cell model for Parkinson's disease

Despite the well-characterized cellular basis of Parkinson's disease -- the degeneration of dopamine-production neurons -- the molecular mechanisms responsible for the neurodegeneration remain unknown. Part of the challenge is finding a model that can adequately mimic the loss of dopamine cells. In two papers published in PLoS Biology, Asa Abeliovich and colleagues make the case that a model based on mouse embryonic stem cells offers a promising platform for dissecting the disease mechanism of Parkinson's.

Working with these cells, the researchers created dopamine neurons deficient in DJ-1, a gene mutated in an inherited form of Parkinson's. They report that DJ-1-deficient cells -- and especially DJ-1-deficient dopamine neurons -- display heightened sensitivity to oxidative stress, caused by products of oxygen metabolism that react with and damage cellular components like proteins and DNA. In a second paper, they link DJ-1 dysfunction to the aggregation of alpha-synuclein, a hallmark of Parkinson's neuropathology.

Oxidative stress has long been associated with neuronal cell death and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's. Proving a causal relationship between oxidative stress and neurodegeneration, however, requires establishing a molecular mechanism. These results support a link between oxidative damage and disease, and provide a tractable model for both studying the molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative disease and screening potential neuroprotectant drugs. The authors are hoping to extend their work to human embryonic stem cells, but their work is limited by the availability of such cells under the current NIH guidelines.


'"/>

Contact: Paul Ocampo
pocampo@plos.org
415-624-1224
Public Library of Science
4-Oct-2004


Page: 1

Related biology news :

1. UCLA scientists produce functioning neurons from human embryonic stem cells
2. Not all embryonic stem cell lines are created equal
3. Discredited Korean embryonic stem cells true origins revealed
4. Researchers discover human embryonic stem cells are the ultimate perpetual fuel cell
5. Study: Donated embryos could result in more than 2,000 new embryonic stem cell lines
6. UCLA researchers reprogram normal tissue cells into embryonic stem cells
7. Reprogrammed fibroblasts identical to embryonic stem cells
8. A twist of fate -- Reprogrammed fibroblasts resemble embryonic stem cells
9. Left-right wiring determined by neural communication in the embryonic worm
10. Weizmann Institute scientists discover a key player in embryonic muscle development
11. Scientists unlock mystery of embryonic stem cell signaling pathway

Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
TAG: embryonic stem cell model for Parkinson disease

(Date:5/22/2013)... to genetic engineering drastically reduces the time and ... the workhorses of biotechnology, scientists are reporting. Published ... the method paves the way for more rapid ... cleanup and other activities. , Keith Shearwin and ... of the genetic material DNA into a bacterium,s ...
(Date:5/22/2013)... cellular DNA can endanger the whole organism, as they ... Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich now report how byproducts of ... , The DNA in our cells controls the form ... The instructions for this are encoded in the linear ... bases adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G) and thymine ...
(Date:5/22/2013)... provide important new details on how climate change will ... 21 in the Journal of Animal Ecology . ... predictions and informing policymakers of how species are likely ... "There is a growing recognition among biologists that climate ... and that this is going to have very important ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):DNA damage: The dark side of respiration 2UCLA life scientists present new insights on climate change and species interactions 2UCLA life scientists present new insights on climate change and species interactions 3UCLA life scientists present new insights on climate change and species interactions 4UCLA life scientists present new insights on climate change and species interactions 5
(Date:5/23/2013)... , May 23, 2013  BioScrip, Inc. (NASDAQ: ... present at the Jefferies 2013 Global Healthcare Conference to ... New York. Richard Smith ... Hai Tran , Chief Financial Officer, will present ... Daylight Time.   About BioScrip BioScrip, ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... (PRWEB) May 23, 2013 Can economic ... from work motivate members of the public to increase ... including Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Assistant ... yes. Pointing to a large body of recent research ... the May 24, 2013, issue of Science that the ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... 2013 Graphite Metallizing Corporation announces ... mounted in stainless steel pillow blocks. This series ... with the application and installation versatility of pillow ... work exceptionally well when submerged in water, ... such as acids, alkalies, hydrocarbons, black liquor, and ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... Patheon Inc ., a leading provider of contract ... will host a complimentary webinar on “Cleaning Validation: Science, ... 4, 2013 at 11 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. ... regulations for cleaning validation. Many companies have incorporated ... evaluation of risk. Some companies have chosen to ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Offering Economic Incentives to Attract Blood Donations Should Be Encouraged, Research Team writes in Science 2Offering Economic Incentives to Attract Blood Donations Should Be Encouraged, Research Team writes in Science 3Graphite Metallizing Now Offers GRAPHALLOY® Stainless Steel Pillow Blocks for Success in Submersible Applications 2Graphite Metallizing Now Offers GRAPHALLOY® Stainless Steel Pillow Blocks for Success in Submersible Applications 3Patheon to Present on “Cleaning Validation: Science, Risk and Novel Approaches to Testing” 2
Cached News: