Parkinson’s is a progressive degenerative brain disorder which is currently incurable. Previous research in patients with early-onset Parkinson’s has identified mutations in a gene which encodes for an enzyme called PINK1. This enzyme plays a critical role in protecting brain cells against stress.

In patients with mutations in the PINK1 gene, this protective effect is lost and cells that control movement degrade, leading to the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s.

After a decade of work, Wellcome-funded scientists at the University of Dundee have now discovered how the PINK1 enzyme works to protect brain cells against damage by identifying its 3D structure.

This allows researchers to understand how mutations carried by Parkinson’s patients interrupt the function of this protective enzyme.

Read the full article about Parkinson's Disease from Wellcome