Energy deficiency in brain cells is a major cause of Parkinson's Disease: IIT Madras

Parkinson’s Disease is caused by the loss of dopaminergic cells in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). The cause of this cell loss has not been clearly elucidated before.

A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has revealed that energy deficiency in certain cells in the human brain is a major cause for Parkinson’s Disease (PD). This research could lead to scientists and other stakeholders focusing on improving the efficiency of energy delivery to these cells, which might finally lead to a cure for PD, the institute said.

IIT Madras said PD is the second most prominent neurodegenerative disease around the world after Alzheimer’s disease, and there is no cure for it yet. Currently, the medical community is mostly focused only on the management of the disease.

Parkinson’s Disease is caused by the loss of dopaminergic cells in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). The cause of this cell loss has not been clearly elucidated before.

The IIT Madras researchers developed a computational model that showed energy deficiency might be a major cause of SNc cell loss in Parkinson’s Disease.

This computational modelling was developed by Dr. Vignayanandam Ravindernath Muddapu, who completed his PhD recently at IIT Madras, under the guidance of Prof. V Srinivasa Chakravarthy, Department of Biotechnology.

The findings of this research have been published recently in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.

Elaborating on the important findings of this research, Prof. Chakravarthy said, “While existing treatments manage PD symptoms – sometimes with great effect – a cure demands an understanding of the root cause of SNc cell loss. This is the main question addressed in our work: What is the major underlying cause of SNc cell loss in PD?”

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