Although no cure for Parkinson’s disease currently exists, researchers are working tirelessly to understand the risk factors that contribute to its development. A recent study reveals that men are at a significantly higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease compared to women, with a key factor being an immune system response triggered by a specific protein in the brain.
Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement, is known to occur more frequently in men than in women. This disparity may be linked to the immune system’s reaction to the PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) protein, which, despite being generally benign, is viewed as an enemy by the immune system in some Parkinson’s cases.
The study, led by the La Jolla Institute for Immunology in California, found that damage caused by immune system T cells targeting PINK1 was more aggressive and widespread in the brains of men than women. This discovery may explain the higher incidence of Parkinson’s disease in men.
“The sex-based differences in T cell responses were very, very striking,” said immunologist Alessandro Sette from the La Jolla Institute, as quoted by Science Alert. “This immune response may be a component of why we see a sex difference in Parkinson’s disease.”
The research team tested blood samples from Parkinson’s patients, examining T cell responses to proteins linked to the disease. They found that the response to PINK1 was six times stronger in men compared to a much smaller increase in women, where it was only 0.7 times higher than in healthy brains.
Immunologist Cecilia Lindestam Arlehamn, also from the La Jolla Institute, emphasized the potential for developing therapies aimed at blocking these harmful T cells. “We could potentially develop therapies to block these T cells, now that we know why the cells are targeting the brain,” she said.
While a cure for Parkinson’s remains elusive, the study’s findings provide new insights into the mechanisms behind the disease, potentially paving the way for more targeted treatments. Researchers are calling for further studies to explore global variations in disease progression, including sex differences, to develop better therapeutic strategies.
The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
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