Cholesterol metabolism byproduct linked to Parkinson’s disease
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 7-Jul-2025 06:11 ET (7-Jul-2025 10:11 GMT/UTC)
Researchers led by Zhentao Zhang at Wuhan University, China, have discovered a cholesterol metabolite that plays a critical role in the development of Parkinson’s disease in mice. Published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology on February 18th, the study shows that this metabolite is responsible for the formation of Lewy bodies and the death of dopaminergic neurons in the brain—the two major hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease. Blocking its activity or preventing it from being made by the body could therefore be effective strategies for treating the disease.
The CSIC-UNESPA scientific expedition has been underway since last January with the aim of monitoring the presence of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI H5N1) in Antarctica. The first results of the campaign, led by Antonio Alcamí, a CSIC research professor at the Severo Ochoa Molecular Biology Center (CBMSO-CSIC-UAM), have confirmed the presence of the virus in all species detected on six islands in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica.