Page 24 - EUREKA! Summer 2018
        P. 24
     Solving the
                                                                                                                                                                     Parkinson’s
                                                                                                                                                                     puzzle
                                                                                                                                                                     Cross-disciplinary duo
                                                                                                                                                                     from Carleton pioneer
                                                                                                                                                                     a new approach to
                                                                                                                                                                     stopping the devastating
                                                                                                                                                                     neurodegenerative disease
                                                                                                                               In nearly every case of Parkinson’s
                                                                                                                               disease, a brain protein called
                                                                                                                               alpha-synuclein — the bright
                                                                                                                               spots in this microscope image
                                                                                                                               of a mouse brain — aggregates
                                                                                                                               into clumps of spaghetti-like
                                                                                                                               filaments that, researchers believe,   By Joseph Mathieu
                                                                                                                               lead to decreases in dopamine
                                                                                                                               and symptoms such as slow             Photo by Blazej Marczak
                                                                                                                               movements, tremors and rigidity.
        24  science.carleton.ca                                                                                                                                                                                          science.carleton.ca  25
     	
