Studying
mitochondria in skin
cells from people
with Parkinson’s
Oliver
Project information
Lead researcher
Dr Oliver Bandmann
Location
University of Sheffield
Cost
£147,275 over 3 years
Start date
May 2012
Type of project
Project grant
Project code
G-1202
Project background
People with Parkinson’s don’t have enough of a chemical called dopamine because some
nerve cells in their brain have died.
Although we don’t fully understand how or why this happens, research has provided vital
insights into why nerve cells die. We know that the mitochondria – the tiny energy-producing
batteries that power our cells - are affected in Parkinson’s. And researchers believe that
problems with the mitochondria are one of the key reasons nerve cells stop working and die in
the condition.
•
Oliver wants to find out how common mitochondrial problems really are in
Parkinson’s, understand exactly what goes wrong, and how we can help the
mitochondria work better.
•
Oliver’s team have already studied the mitochondria in skin cells taken from
people with rare inherited (genetic) forms of Parkinson’s and found changes in the
function and the shape of their mitochondria.
•
They’ve also found drugs that seem to help the mitochondria work better. But,
they don’t know yet whether these promising drugs will have the same effect in cells
from people with non-inherited Parkinson’s – and therefore have potential for treating
all forms of Parkinson’s.
What the researchers are doing
Oliver’s team will use cells taken from skin samples which are being taken from people with
Parkinson’s in the Monument Discovery Project (which is also funded Parkinson’s UK).
They will carefully examine function and shape of the mitochondria in skin cells taken from
people with non-inherited or ‘sporadic’ Parkinson’s.
Oliver hopes this will help them to uncover whether mitochondrial problems, which are
common in inherited Parkinson’s, are also involved in nerve cell death in non-inherited forms of
the condition.
How the research will help people with Parkinson’s
This research will help shed light on how important mitochondrial problems are in non-inherited
forms of Parkinson’s.
If the project is successful, it will help us work out whether drugs that help mitochondria work
better may have potential for treating the condition. And this could help pave the way to better
treatments for all people with Parkinson’s.
For more information, please talk to the Research Team
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020 7963 9313
[email protected]
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