That morning cuppa Joe doesn’t just kick-start your day; it could also protect your brain from Parkinson’s

 
Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine in Saskatoon, Canada, have identified two caffeine-based chemical compounds that could prevent the damage caused by Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s is a progressive disorder sparked by the loss of brain cells that produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that allows nerve cells to communicate with each other. The study focused on a protein called alpha-synuclein (AS), which is involved in dopamine regulation. In Parkinson’s, AS forms clumps and causes the death of dopamine-producing neurons. The researchers created a caffeine-based, chemical ‘scaffold’ that formed a protective shield around the brain cells that produce dopamine. They identified two compounds in the caffeine that bind to AS and prevent it from mis-folding. Their findings were published in journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience.

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Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
December 2016