{"id":21905,"date":"2025-04-03T20:43:35","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T20:43:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=21905"},"modified":"2025-04-03T20:43:37","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T20:43:37","slug":"new-parkinsons-research-focuses-on-heart-impact-beyond-the-brain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/new-parkinsons-research-focuses-on-heart-impact-beyond-the-brain\/","title":{"rendered":"New Parkinson&#8217;s Research Focuses on Heart Impact Beyond the Brain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">New research from the University of Surrey indicates that Parkinson&#8217;s disease impacts the heart through a harmful protein, offering new treatment possibilities.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">New findings from researchers at the University of Surrey offer a fresh perspective on Parkinson&#8217;s disease, showing that the condition&#8217;s effects extend beyond the brain and impact the heart. This pioneering study suggests that targeting the alpha-synuclein protein outside the brain could help manage Parkinson&#8217;s-related heart issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In research <a href=\"https:\/\/physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/epdf\/10.1113\/EP092261\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in the journal Experimental Physiology, the team discovered that alpha-synuclein \u2014 a protein linked to Parkinson&#8217;s \u2014 builds up in the stellate ganglia, a nerve cluster near the heart that&#8217;s part of the autonomic nervous system. The accumulation of this protein in neurons poses a potential risk to heart function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur study confirms the suspicion that there is a link between Parkinson&#8217;s disease and cardiac autonomic dysfunction \u2014 giving us a new insight into how the disease impacts the nervous system beyond the brain,&#8221; lead author Kamalan Jeevaratnam, the head of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Surrey, said in a news release. &#8220;And just like the brain, alpha-synuclein forms clumps in the nerves, strongly suggesting that the same process that damages brain cells in Parkinson&#8217;s is also damaging the nerves that control the heart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Using mouse models, the researchers produced a mutant form of alpha-synuclein and meticulously dissected the stellate ganglia, ensuring minimal tissue damage. By staining thin slices of the nerve clusters with fluorescent markers, they tracked the protein&#8217;s spread and its effect on individual neurons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They found that 27% of neurons in the stellate ganglia contained harmful protein clumps, akin to those found in the brains of Parkinson\u2019s patients. This suggests that Parkinson\u2019s impacts heart function, not just movement and brain activity.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Co-author Bonn Lee, a postgraduate student at the University of Surrey, emphasized the broader implications of the research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cUnderstanding how Parkinson\u2019s affects the heart opens up new possibilities for treatment. If we can find ways to stop or slow the build-up of alpha-synuclein in the nervous system outside the brain, we could help manage some of the lesser-known but serious effects of the disease,&#8221; Lee added. &#8220;We are keen to work with industrial partners on exploring whether targeting these toxic protein clumps in the heart\u2019s nerve cells could improve symptoms and quality of life for people with Parkinson\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:16px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.surrey.ac.uk\/news\/could-targeting-parkinsons-outside-brain-improve-symptoms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">University of Surrey<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New findings from researchers at the University of Surrey offer a fresh perspective on Parkinson&#8217;s disease, showing that the condition&#8217;s effects extend beyond the brain and impact the heart. This pioneering study suggests that targeting the alpha-synuclein protein outside the brain could help manage Parkinson&#8217;s-related heart issues. In research published in the journal Experimental Physiology, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[184],"class_list":["post-21905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","tag-university-of-surrey"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"New findings from researchers at the University of Surrey offer a fresh perspective on Parkinson&#8217;s disease, showing that the condition&#8217;s effects extend beyond the brain and impact the heart. This pioneering study suggests that targeting the alpha-synuclein protein outside the brain could help manage Parkinson&#8217;s-related heart issues. In research published in the journal Experimental Physiology,&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21905"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21905\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21921,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21905\/revisions\/21921"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}