Brain pathway shows potential for slowing Parkinson’s, but only in females
WHY IT MATTERS
This sex-specific finding could lead to new Parkinson's treatments tailored differently for women and men, addressing a gap in how the disease progresses differently between sexes.
Scientists at Texas A&M University found a protective pathway in the brain that could slow Parkinson's disease progression. This pathway involves receptors that respond to nicotine (a chemical in tobacco) but doesn't require actually using tobacco. In mice, increasing these receptors helped prevent Parkinson's symptoms — but only in female mice, not male mice.
Researchers at Texas A&M University have identified a protective brain pathway — one linked to receptors responsive to nicotine but not requiring the tobacco plant chemical itself — that may be targeted to slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease. In a mouse model of Parkinson’s, boosting the number of nicotine-responsive receptors in the brain prevented […] The post Brain pathway shows potential for slowing Parkinson’s, but only in females appeared first on Parkin