Parkinson's disease occurs twice as often in men versus in women, but why this is the case remains a question. Researchers here identify one possible reason, an autoimmune reaction to the PINK1 protein that is much more pronounced in male Parkinson's patients than in female patients. The discovery may be useful as a biomarker, and it may prove to be a target for therapies to reduce the pathology of the condition, at least in men. PINK1 is involved in mitochondrial function and quality control, critical in the motor neurons that are lost to Parkinson's pathology in the brain. PINK1 mutations are associated with early onset of Parkinson's disease, the familial form of the conditions.
In recent years, scientists have found increasing evidence that autoimmunity plays a role in the onset of Parkinson's disease. A recent study shows that PINK1 appears to mark some brain cells for immune cell attack. PINK1 means no harm. The protein actually helps brain cells regulate their mitochondria - the cellular structures that provide energy for a cell. The researchers found that some people with Parkinson's disease have T cells that mistakenly see PINK1 as a red flag. These T cells may target brain cells that express PINK1, contributing to inflammation and brain cell death.
The new research may help explain why Parkinson's disease is around twice as common in men versus women. The team found that men with Parkinson's disease had a 6-fold increase in PINK1-specific T cells, compared with healthy male study participants. Women with Parkinson's disease showed only a 0.7-fold increase in PINK1-specific T cells, compared with healthy female study participants. These PINK1-targeting T cells may also prove valuable as a biomarker of Parkinson's disease, allowing for earlier diagnosis in patients at-risk of developing the neurodegenerative disease.
PINK1 is not the only important T cell target. Previous research showed that many Parkinson's disease patients have T cells that target a protein called alpha-synuclein. This T cell response was linked to inflammation in the brain and the onset of Parkinson's disease. But not all Parkinson's patients show this T cell response to alpha-synuclein, so researchers expanded their hunt for additional antigens that might trigger harmful autoreactive T cell responses. The new research suggests PINK1 is one such antigen.
Link: https://www.lji.org/news-events/news/post/immune-cells-may-lead-to-more-parkinsons-cases-in-men/
View the full article at FightAging
