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Feb 15, 2019

Brain discovery may explain mysterious cell death in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, genetics, neuroscience

Scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have identified a potential explanation for the mysterious death of specific brain cells seen in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

The new research suggests that the may die because of naturally occurring in brain cells that were, until recently, assumed to be genetically identical. This variation – called “somatic mosaicism” – could explain why in the are the first to die in Alzheimer’s, for example, and why are the first to die in Parkinson’s.

“This has been a big open question in neuroscience, particularly in various neurodegenerative diseases,” said neuroscientist Michael McConnell of UVA’s Center for Brain Immunology and Glia, or BIG. “What is this selective vulnerability? What underlies it? And so now, with our work, the hypotheses moving forward are that it could be that different regions of the brain actually have a different garden of these [variations] in and that sets up different regions for decline later in life.”

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