{"id":29934,"date":"2024-08-30T14:44:45","date_gmt":"2024-08-30T18:44:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/?p=29934"},"modified":"2024-08-30T14:44:45","modified_gmt":"2024-08-30T18:44:45","slug":"whitehead-institute-researchers-uncover-a-new-clue-toward-understanding-the-molecular-basis-of-parkinsons-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/whitehead-institute-researchers-uncover-a-new-clue-toward-understanding-the-molecular-basis-of-parkinsons-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Whitehead Institute researchers uncover a new clue toward understanding the molecular basis of Parkinson\u2019s disease"},"content":{"rendered":"
Dopamine is more than the \u201crush molecule\u201d. This chemical messenger, produced by neurons in the midbrain, acts as a traffic controller that regulates the flow of electrical signals between neurons, assisting with brain functions like cognition, attention, movement, and behavior. But, in instances of Parkinson\u2019s disease (PD), a progressive brain disorder, dopamine-producing neurons begin to die at an unprecedented rate, leading to dwindling levels of this vital chemical and impaired neural communication.<\/p>\n
The lab of Whitehead Institute\u2019s Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch studies genetic and epigenetic factors \u2014 changes in gene expression that control which genes are turned on and off, and to what extent, without altering the DNA sequence itself \u2014 underlying neurological disorders like PD, Alzheimer\u2019s disease, and Rett Syndrome. Their work aims to uncover the mechanisms that go awry in the brain, which may inform the development of new therapies that can halt or even reverse the progression of these conditions.<\/p>\n