A recently published study by researchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences found that a tiny protein called PNA5 appears to have a protective effect on brain cells, which could lead to treatments for the cognitive symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and related disorders.
Parkinson’s disease, a neurological disorder best known for causing tremors, stiffness, slow movement and poor balance, also causes cognitive symptoms that can progress to Parkinson’s dementia. While there are medications that control the disease’s motor symptoms, there are no effective treatments for its cognitive symptoms.
When patients are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, 25% to 30% already have mild cognitive impairment. As the disorder progresses into its later stages, 50% to 70% of patients complain of cognitive problems. The sad part is we don’t have a clear way to treat cognitive decline or dementia in Parkinson’s disease.”
Lalitha Madhavan, MD, PhD, associate professor of neurology, University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson
A research team led by Madhavan, in collaboration with Torsten Falk, PhD, a research professor of neurology, is investigating PNA5, which was developed by Meredith Hay, PhD, a professor of physiology. They recently published a paper in Experimental Neurology showing that, in an animal model, PNA5 appears to have a protective effect on brain cells.
“With PNA5, we’re targeting cognitive symptoms but, in particular, we’re trying to prevent further degeneration from occurring,” said Kelsey Bernard, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Madhavan Lab and the study’s first author. “By going down