Parkinson's and Nanotubes

Invisible tunnels in our brains? Yes, and they could well change our understanding of Parkinson's.

April 11 was World Parkinson's Day - the perfect occasion to talk about a major scientific discovery. For the first time, these nanotubes have been observed in a living organism: the zebrafish.

These mini-tunnels enable neurons to communicate, but beware... They can also carry toxic molecules, thus promoting neuronal death.

Chiara Zurzolo, head of the Institut Pasteur's Membrane Traffic and Pathogenesis Unit, has made this breakthrough. Her team is studying the role of these structures in the propagation of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.

The aim? To understand how inflammation disrupts these nanotubes, so as to target them more effectively and perhaps slow - or halt - the progression of these diseases.

A promising avenue that opens up new prospects for research and treatments.

(video in french, English subtitles available)