Retina-to-brain spreading of α-synuclein after intravitreal injection of preformed fibrils.

ABSTRACT: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the aggregation of misfolded α-synuclein and progressive spreading of the aggregates from a few discrete regions to wider brain regions. Although PD has been classically considered a movement disorder, a large body of clinical evidence has revealed the progressive occurrence of non-motor symptoms. Patients present visual symptoms in the initial stages of the disease, and accumulation of phospho-α-synuclein, dopaminergic neuronal loss, and retinal thinning has been observed in the retinas of PD patients. Based on such human data, we hypothesized that α-synuclein aggregation can initiate in the retina and spread to the brain through the visual pathway. Here, we demonstrate accumulation of α-synuclein in the retinas and

SUBMITTER: Perez-Acuna D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10199563 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature