'Free Radical' Molecules May Help Drive Brain Illnesses

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Title of Article: 'Free Radical' Molecules May Help Drive Brain

Illnesses

Article:

Researchers believe they've found a link between the cellular stress

caused by free radical molecules and the accumulation of misfolded

proteins that may cause neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's and

Parkinson's disease.

A team at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in La Jolla,

Calif., found that overproduction of oxidizing free radicals, specifically

nitric oxide (NO), causes inhibition of Protein Disulphide Isomerase

(PDI) -- a " chaperone " protein that's necessary for proper protein folding

in times of cellular stress.

Inhibition of PDI reduces its neuroprotective benefits for nerve cells,

the researchers explained in the May 25 issue of Nature.

The researchers said this is the first study documenting a direct link

between NO free radicals and protein misfolding, which is believed to

be a common pathway in the development of nearly all neurodegenerative

diseases. The finding may help lead to the development of new treatments

for these diseases.

" Our data demonstrate a previously unrecognized relationship between NO

and protein misfolding in degenerative disorders, showing that PDI can

be a target of NO in cellular models of Parkinson's disease and human

neurodegenerative disease, " senior author Dr. Stuart A. Lipton, director

of the Del E. Webb Center for Neurosciences and Aging at the Burnham

Institute, said in a prepared statement.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has

more about Parkinson's disease.

Joanne Kocourek (mom to , lies, and )

visit us at: http://www.caringbridge.org/il/annakris