News Health & Medicine

Protein in Parkinson’s provokes the immune system

Immune cells treat bits of alpha-synuclein as intruders

alpha-synuclein protein in nerve cells

RED ALERT  This micrograph shows how the protein alpha-synuclein (red) builds up in nerve cells (blue) in brains affected by Parkinson’s disease. The immune system can react to parts of the protein, a new study finds.

Roger J. Bick & Mya C. Schiess/UT-Houston Medical School/Science Source

By Aimee Cunningham

- More than 2 years ago

Bits of a protein that builds up in Parkinson’s disease trigger the immune system, causing it to tag them as foreign invaders.