New Protein Target Offers Hope for Parkinson's Treatment: University of Sydney Breakthrough

July 6, 2025
New Protein Target Offers Hope for Parkinson's Treatment: University of Sydney Breakthrough
  • Recent groundbreaking research from the University of Sydney has identified a new brain protein involved in Parkinson's disease and a potential way to modify it, offering hope for future treatments.

  • Led by Professor Kay Double, the research team previously discovered abnormal forms of the SOD1 protein in Parkinson's patients' brains, which normally protects the brain but becomes faulty and damages cells in the disease.

  • In experiments involving two groups of mice, one received a special copper supplement for three months and the other a placebo; the copper-treated mice did not develop movement problems, unlike the placebo group.

  • Professor Double expressed optimism that further studies could lead to treatments that slow Parkinson's progression in humans, citing the promising results observed in mice.

  • Parkinson's disease affects over 150,000 people in Australia and is characterized by symptoms such as tremors, muscle stiffness, slow movements, and balance issues, with no current cure.

  • The next step in research is to identify the most effective method to target the faulty SOD1 protein in clinical trials, which could pave the way for new therapies.

  • The latest study demonstrated that targeting the faulty SOD1 protein with a drug significantly improved motor functions in mice exhibiting Parkinson-like symptoms, showing notable recovery in their movement abilities.

Summary based on 1 source


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