Kozhikode: The study by a Malayali researcher couple offers hope in finding a treatment for genetically inherited degenerative brain diseases affecting children. The study is considered one that could potentially pave the way for controlling diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s in the future. Abhilash Appu and Nisha Plavelil, researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), are behind this study. The findings of the study are published in the scientific journals Science Advances and Neurobiology of Disease.
As part of efforts to better understand the disease-causing process and seek treatment for this genetic disorder, researchers found that lysosomes — cellular components — play a role in the destruction of brain neurons.Regulating metabolic activities within the cells, breaking down excess components inside the cell, and neutralizing invading pathogens — these are the primary functions of lysosomes. However, the study conducted by Abhilash and Nisha reveals that these cellular components (lysosomes) have even greater significance than previously understood.The findings suggest that malfunctioning of lysosomes plays a role in neurodegenerative genetic disorders seen in children, such as Batten disease.