Meet the Researcher Investigating How Parkinson’s Disrupts Mitochondria in Neurons

Neurons, the cells that carry information in our brain and nervous system, have puzzled researchers for decades. Depending on their location and role in the body, neurons can vary wildly in shape and activity, with some stretching up to three feet long. Their size and structure also create challenges for neurons to stay healthy and functional. 

The dopamine-producing neurons in the brain progressively lost in Parkinson’s disease (PD) are no exception. How the disease may impact the cells’ critical maintenance is still not well understood.

Inés Patop, PhD, recipient of a Parkinson’s Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, is using new biological tools to improve our understanding of not just how PD may affect neuronal upkeep, but specifically where it is most damaging within the cell and how we can use that knowledge to design more efficient therapies.  

“There are certain cells in the brain that deteriorate with time,” said Dr. Patop. “These cells have certain vulnerabilities that make them more sensitive to Parkinson’ disease. My work studies these vulnerabilities and why these cells degenerate, with a focus on mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell that becomes defective in Parkinson’s and how we can find new therapies to avoid the degeneration of these neurons.”

Parkinson’s disease has been associated with mitochondria misfunction for more than 30 years, and several PD-associated genetic mutations are involved in the process of clearing defective mitochondria. 

The challenge is that the blueprints needed to maintain, repair and remove damaged mitochondria come from the nucleus in the soma. To maintain the mitochondria in the neurites (see box), the neuron needs to print and transport those blueprints (called RNA) across the cell. That process requires coordination, which is likely disrupted in neurons affected by PD-associated mutations.  

Think of individual mitochondria as power plants located in different parts of a large city. Each power plant operates on its own but needs to receive materials to function; if the materials don’t arrive, there are failures. Therefore, power plants that are far away from the distribution center (the cell’s soma) are more prone to failure.

The process of generating the necessary materials for a power plant to function, by combining its own materials with materials from the distribution center (the soma’s nucleus), is called "mito-nuclear balance.” When this balance is disrupted, cellular stress occurs. Parkinson’s disease is associated with the failure of various processes that ensure correct mito-nuclear balance.

From the lab of Dr. Stirling Churchman at Harvard University in Boston, MA, Dr. Patop:

• Utilizes special growing chambers that will allow them to isolate and study the soma and neurites of neurons individually. 

• Then run complex biochemical tests to see how RNA printing and transport, mitochondria repair and more differ between the distinct cell regions, and how each is affected by PD mutations. 

From this data, Dr. Patop hopes to better understand how PD may affect neurons differently from soma to dendrites, potentially leading to new future treatments that target the most impacted regions of the cells.

“My work focuses on understanding basic biology about the neurons that degenerate in Parkinson’s,” said Dr. Patop. “Through this research, we expect to identify new regulatory mechanisms implicated in PD, potentially identifying novel drug targets for treatment.”

“The impact of this research could significantly advance our understanding of PD and pave the way for innovative therapeutic strategies.” - Dr. Patop

Dr. Patop said this award has not only help fund their research but has connected them with a community of scientists who are also focused on Parkinson’s disease, as well as people with PD and their families, which has been very impactful. They are grateful to the Parkinson’s Foundation for investing in basic research. 

“Without basic research like this, new treatments would not be possible” said Dr. Patop. “I think we are just at the moment where things are coming through, so if we continue on this path and support this type of research, we are going to really great advances in the prognosis of Parkinson’s disease.”

Meet more Parkinson’s researchers! Explore our My PD Stories featuring PD researchers.