TNF Slows Development of Parkinson's Disease

Researchers studying Parkinson's disease (PD) have found that by inhibiting the activity of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) they could reduce the incidence of dopamine neuron death in the brains of an experimental group of rats by more than 50%.

The underlying cause of PD is degeneration of a group of nerve cells deep within the center of the brain in an area called the substantia nigra. These cells use dopamine as their neurotransmitter to signal other nerve cells. As these cells degenerate and stop functioning, dopamine fails to reach the areas of the brain that affect motor functions.

Investigators at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas, USA) studied the effect of the natural inflammatory protein TNF on the degeneration of cells within the substantia nigra.

They reported in the September 13, 2006, issue of the Journal of Neuroscience that a group of rats injected with substances that caused the animals to develop symptoms of PD showed a 50% drop in nigral degeneration following neutralization of soluble TNF with the compound XENP345 (a PEGylated version of the TNF variant A145R/I97T).

"Our findings suggest that TNF-dependent inflammation may be part of the progressive features of Parkinson's disease, and this gives us an opportunity with anti-TNF therapy to slow down or prevent the progression of the disease,” said senior author Dr. Malú Tansey, assistant professor of physiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. "If an intervention could still reduce the extent or rate of cell death by 50%, it could make a huge difference in the life of a Parkinson's disease patient.”



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University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center