In both human cell and mouse models of Huntington's disease, RNA from mitochondria was misplaced within spiny projection neurons. The stray RNAs, which looked different to cells than RNA derived from the cell nucleus, trigger an immune reaction that can lead to striatal cell type vulnerability.
New findings about dopaminergic neurons in the striatum could have implications for treating Parkinson's disease and Tourette syndrome.
Researchers shed light on what happens to specific neurons when neurodegenerative diseases impact movement. The findings could help in the development of new treatments for Parkinson's and Huntington's disease.
Pauses in cholinergic interneuron activity could be a mechanism for controlling how animals respond to external stimuli, researchers report.