Nuclear Receptor NR4A2/Nurr1 as a Therapeutic Target for Neurotoxic Injury in Parkinson's Disease
Abstract
Environmental exposures are closely linked to the development of Parkinson's disease (PD). A number of environmental compounds have been implicated as risk factors for PD, including heavy metals, pesticides and anti-cholinergic chemical warfare agents. A central mechanism of action of many of these agents is the capacity to inhibit mitochondrial energy production in cells, leading to several common pathways of cellular dysfunction associated with PD, including protein misfolding, inflammation and injury to nerve cells in the brain that regulate movement. It is now known that veterans of the 1991 and more recent Gulf wars were widely exposed to a number of these agents, particularly pesticides, that has increased the prevalence of PD and PD-like disorders amongst Gulf war service veterans. It is therefore critical to identify both the cellular mechanisms driving this pathology as well as key signaling pathways that could be therapeutically targeted to interdict further neurological decline in individuals diagnosed with parkinsonism related to environmental exposures.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1216503
Entities
People
- Ronald B Tjalkens
- Savannah Rocha
- Srijana Upadhijay
- Stephen Safe
Organizations
- Colorado State University