Discovery points to possible new treatment strategy for Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia

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"... The researchers also found, for the first time, that an experimental drug called NitroSynapsin can prevent this harmful effect by blocking excessive activity of the neuronal glutamate receptors, while leaving normal synaptic activity essentially unchanged. NitroSynapsin is meant to be an improved version of the drug memantine (marketed as Namenda®), which Lipton previously developed and patented for neurodegenerative disorders and is currently FDA-approved for Alzheimer’s disease. ..."

"... Loss of synaptic function and ensuing neuronal loss are associated with disease progression in Parkinson's disease (PD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), and other neurodegenerative diseases. However, the mechanism of synaptic damage remains incompletely understood. α-Synuclein (αSyn) misfolds in PD/LBD, forming Lewy bodies and contributing to disease pathogenesis. Here, we found that misfolded/oligomeric αSyn releases excessive astrocytic glutamate, in turn activating neuronal extrasynaptic NMDA receptors (eNMDARs), thereby contributing to synaptic damage. Additionally, αSyn oligomers directly activate eNMDARs, further contributing to damage. ..."

Discovery points to possible new treatment strategy for Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia | Scripps Research Scientists find evidence that clusters of proteins associated with Parkinson’s and other diseases can induce a toxic process involving glutamate, a neurotransmitter.

Here is the link to the underlying research paper:

α-Synuclein Oligomers Induce Glutamate Release from Astrocytes and Excessive Extrasynaptic NMDAR Activity in Neurons, Thus Contributing to Synapse Loss