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>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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn