May 29 (NHK) - A group of researchers says it has found a new type of Parkinson's disease apparently induced by a different protein from the one known to cause the disease.
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking of limbs or stiffness. It is generally thought that accumulation of an abnormal protein known as alpha-Synuclein in the brain contributes to the disease.
The group including Osaka University Associate Professor Bekku Gouichi examined brain samples of a Parkinson's patient donated posthumously and detected an accumulation of TDP-43, a different protein from alpha-Synuclein.
TDP-43 protein has been linked to other nervous disorders, but it has never been reported that it could independently induce Parkinson's disease.
