Influenza, COVID-19 may fuel Parkinson’s processes, finds CCMB
Researchers at the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology have discovered a potential link between RNA viruses like influenza and COVID-19 and the development of Parkinson's disease. The study identifies how viral RNA can accelerate the formation of toxic protein clumps in the brain and highlights a natural cellular defense mechanism.
Why it matters
Understanding the biological connection between viral infections and neurodegeneration could lead to new therapeutic strategies for Parkinson's disease.
Infections such as influenza and COVID-19 may increase the risk of neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson’s disease. However, the biological link between viral infections and brain degeneration has remained poorly understood.
A new study by scientists at the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) has shed light on how certain RNA viruses may trigger processes linked to Parkinson’s disease. The researchers have also identified a natural cellular defence mechanism that can help limit the damage.
The team, led by Swasti Raychaudhuri, studied how infections caused by RNA viruses, including influenza and SARS-CoV-2, trigger molecular changes associated with neurodegeneration. Such diseases are often characterised by the buildup of abnormal protein deposits in the brain.
These abnormal protein clumps disrupt communication between neurons, impairing their normal function over time. Unlike humans, whose genetic material is stored as DNA, these viruses carry their genetic information in RNA.
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