Catalan researchers open a new way to treat Parkinson’s
A study led by researchers from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) and the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC) has shown that a drug originally used in the treatment of cancer it has potential activity in neurons of people with Parkinson’s. This discovery opens a new avenue of treatment for this neurodegenerative disease.
A promising drug
The drug in question is Rucaparib, which is used in the chemotherapy of ovarian, breast and prostate cancer. The researchers studied the molecule M324, which is the main metabolite of this drug, that is to say, the compound that remains after the metabolism of a drug in the body. They have verified that this metabolite reduces the abnormal accumulation of the protein α-synuclein in neurons of Parkinson’s patients, a key feature of this disease.
Therapeutic implications
The results of this study open the door to rethinking the use of drugs and metabolites in precision medicine. The researchers point to the therapeutic potential of the M324 metabolite and its possible pharmacological application for the treatment of Parkinson’s. This discovery represents a significant advance in the search for new treatment options for this neurodegenerative disease.
