Cholesterol metabolism byproduct linked to Parkinson’s disease

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 journal PLOS Biology, 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.