Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute, UCL and the University of Edinburgh have uncovered how a build-up of harmful protein starts to happen within neurons in Parkinson's disease, ultimately causing nerve cell death. By looking at how, where and why this build-up happens, the work provides unique insight into a key biological process driving Parkinson's.

Parkinson's is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes tremors, slowing of movements, stiffness and can progress to cause severe cognitive problems. It affects around 145,000 people in the UK, with this number expected to increase as more people live longer.

Parkinson's is caused by a loss of neurons in specific parts of the brain. In affected nerve cells, a protein called alpha-synuclein misfolds and clumps together into harmful structures. The mechanisms behind this are not yet fully understood.

In their paper, published in Nature Neuroscience today, the researchers developed a new sensitive approach to study what happens to alpha-synuclein during the earliest stages of disease.

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