Researchers develop models for study of neurological disorder

The models should provide new insights into the processes that cause degeneration of the nervous system in patients with multiple system atrophy, but also as models in which to study treatments for the disease.

“Development of these models may also prove relevant to our understanding other neurological disorders, enabling us to test new drugs for Parkinson’s and other diseases,” commented Dr Eliezer Masliah, professor of neuroscience and pathology at the University of California, San Diego.

Patients with multiple system atrophy suffer from progressive, worsening symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, impaired coordination, and dysfunction in control of blood pressure and bladder function. The disease is characterized by aggregates of alpha-synuclein in oligodendrocytes, a type of cell in the brain that provides insulation for the nerve processes in the brain. The presence of alpha-synuclein was first identified in the human brain by researchers at UCSD.