Yale scientists may have found how Parkinson's disease spreads through the brain

Yale researchers have identified two proteins, mGluR4 and NPDC1, that may be responsible for spreading Parkinson's disease through the brain. These proteins, found on dopamine-producing neurons, act as transporters carrying a toxic misfolded protein called α-synuclein from dying cells into healthy ones. In mice, blocking these proteins prevented disease progression, suggesting that targeting them could lead to treatments that slow or stop Parkinson's rather than just managing symptoms.