One of the hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the accumulation in the brain of a protein known as alpha-synuclein. For more than two decades, alpha-synuclein has been a focal point of attention for researchers, clinicians and drug makers interested in PD. But alpha-synuclein’s function is not well understood. A new study led by investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard shines new light on the role of alpha-synuclein, uncovering a new function for the protein with relevance for PD and related conditions. Findings are published in Cell.
