Genetic mutations linked to Parkinson’s disease

Researchers have discovered how genetic mutations linked to Parkinson's disease might play a key role in the death of brain cells, potentially paving the way for the development of more effective drug treatments. In the new study, published , a team of researchers from UCL, the University of Cambridge and the University of Sheffield showed how defects in the Parkinson's gene Fbxo7 cause problems with 'mitaphagy' - an essential process through which our bodies are able to get rid of damaged cells. Mitochondria are the 'energy powerhouses' of cells. Their function is vital in nerve cells which require a great deal of energy in order to function and survive. Dysfunctional mitochondria are potentially very harmful and, normally, cells dispose of the damaged mitchondria by self-eating them, a process called mitophagy. Most of what we know about the mitophagy process comes from the study of the familial forms of Parkinson's, one of the most common diseases of the brain. Over the last three years, two genes associated with familial Parkinson's disease, PINK1 and Parkin, have been reported to play a role in mitophagy.