Oxford scientists catch brain cells gently ‘nibbling’ away a cause of Parkinson’s

At the University of Oxford, researchers watched the brain’s own immune cells — microglia — do something remarkable: they nibbled away harmful clumps of a protein called alpha-synuclein from the neurons that Parkinson’s disease destroys, taking small bites instead of killing the cell. Even better, the cells carry their own brake — a signal called IL-10 — that stops them from damaging healthy tissue. Reporting in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the team says the discovery could open new paths to treatments that slow or stop Parkinson’s, which affects more than 10 million people worldwide. The work was led by Dr. Hung-Ju Chueh with senior author Prof. George Tofaris.