>Chemical That Triggers Parkinson's Disease Discovered
>ScienceDaily (Oct. 31, 2007)
>- Researchers at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine have discovered
>the key brain chemical that causes Parkinson's disease - a breakthrough
>finding that could pave the way for new, far more effective therapies to
>treat one of the most common and debilitating neurological disorders.


...deleted for brevity

>Scientists have long known that a key protein called alpha-synuclein plays a
>role in the development of Parkinson's disease. Alpha-synuclein is found
>throughout the brain - but in some people, the protein clumps together. This
>causes the death of the dopamine-producing cells, which in turn causes
>Parkinson's to develop.
>The SLU researchers discovered that dopamine itself actually plays a role in
>destroying the cells that produce it.
>In the process that leads to Parkinson's disease, dopamine is converted into a
>highly toxic chemical called DOPAL. Using test-tube, cell-culture and animal
>models, the researchers found that it is DOPAL that causes alpha-synuclein
>protein in the brain to clump together, which in turn triggers the death of
>dopamine-producing cells and leads to Parkinson's.
>"This is very exciting," Burke said. "This is the first time that anyone has
>ever established that it is a naturally occurring byproduct of dopamine that
>causes alpha-synuclein to aggregate, or clump together. It's actually DOPAL
>that kicks this whole process off and results in Parkinson's disease."

I am skeptical.  What triggers the creation of Dopal? If Dopal is a
naturally occurring by-product of dopamine why doesn't everybody
eventually get Parkinson's disease?
--
Steve Rack
Brattleboro VT

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