Scientists have identified a toxin produced by the brain that is responsible for the series of cellular events that lead to Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease is a debilitating neurodegenerative movement disorder, affecting 2 percent of individuals older than age 65 and 4 to 5 percent older than 85 years.
The disorder is due to a loss of dopamine neurons and is characterized by bradykinesia and tremors while at rest.
Dopamine, a vital chemical that allows for coordinated function of neurons controlling the body's muscles and movements, is produced by nerve cells in the substantia nigra.
When 80 percent of these cells die or become damaged, symptoms of Parkinson's disease begin to appear, including tremors, slowness of movement, rigidity and stiffness, and difficulty with balance.
"In Parkinson disease, we knew that the death of dopamine cells is responsible for patients' symptoms. But no one knew why the cells are dying," said W. Michael Panneton, lead researcher.
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Alpha-synuclein is found throughout the brain. In some people, the protein clumps together. We found that it is DOPAL that causes alpha-synuclein protein in the brain to aggregate.
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The study was published in PLoS One.
Source-ANI