Is Parkinson’s an autoimmune disease? More evidence emerges

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Researchers in Germany have found further evidence to support the idea that Parkinson’s could be an autoimmune disease.

Using a stem cell model, they showed how immune cells attacked dopamine-producing cells derived from people with Parkinson’s disease but not from people without it.

doctor with parkinsons patient

Dopamine is a chemical messenger that supports many important brain functions. These include functions that deal with reward, emotions, pleasure, and movement control.

In Parkinson’s disease, the midbrain neurons, or brain cells, that make dopamine die off. But it is not clear what causes their death.

As more and more dopamine cells die, levels of the chemical messenger drop, giving rise to symptoms such as tremor, slowness, rigidity, and problems with balance. Problems with speech and swallowing also develop, as do several nonmovement symptoms.

Estimates suggest that around half a million people in the United States have Parkinson’s disease.

Autoimmunity and Parkinson’s

Autoimmune diseases arise because the immune system attacks healthy organs, tissues, and cells instead of protecting them.

There are at least 80 different known types of autoimmune disease, including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and type 1 diabetes.

Although the idea that Parkinson’s could be an autoimmune disease is not new, the biological evidence to back it up is only just emerging.

In 2017, for instance, a study from the U.S. revealed how pieces of a protein that builds up in the dopamine cells of people with Parkinson’s can trigger a deadly immune attack against the cells.

More recently, scientists have linked the use of drugs that subdue the immune system to a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

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