clumps of alpha-synuclein tagged posts

Image: super resolution image of α-synuclein in mitochondria of neuron (left) and single molecule TIRF image of individual α-synuclein aggregates (right). Credit: Mathew Horrocks

Detailed brain cell analysis has helped researchers uncover new mechanisms thought to underlie Parkinson’s disease. The study adds to our growing understanding of the causes of Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, and could influence drug design in the future.

For years, scientists have known that Parkinson’s disease is associated with a build-up of alpha-synuclein protein inside brain cells. But how these protein clumps cause neurons to die was a mystery...