Evidence that Parkinson's disease is partly an Autoimmune Disease

Abstract

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects dopaminergic neurons; the symptoms are the result of the gradual degeneration of nerve cells in the portion of the midbrain that controls body movements. For degenerative diseases like Parkinson's, any insights into its development in the brain could be vitally important in coming up with new ways and approaches for treatment. Several studies have been made to better understand this disease but new series of researches are focusing on the underlying autoimmunity of the disease and weather it plays a role in its progression or not. For this reason, a new series of studies could form a key piece of the puzzle. They have found the first direct evidence that autoimmunity contributes to Parkinson's disease, by extension raising the prospect of manipulating the body's immune system to slow or even