More On Parkinson’s, Mitochondria

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From Forbes, a nice follow-on to recent research on mitochodrial DNA damage in parts of the brain associated with Parkinson's, and oxidative stress in Parkinson's: "Our study, using Drosophila [fruit fly] model, revealed that two distinct gene products, Parkin and PINK1, converge in a common pathway in maintaining mitochondrial integrity and function in both muscles and dopamine neurons. This clearly suggests that mitochondrial failure is the central mechanism in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. ... If we can find drugs that can rescue these mitochondrial functions, that would be a much better drug than the current therapies that are targeted on dopamine replacement."

Link: http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/feeds/hscout/2006/05/03/hscout532484.html