University of Regina researcher helps uncover link between damaged brain cells and Parkinson’s disease

A discovery led in part by University of Regina biochemist Dr. Mohan Babu is helping scientists better understand what goes wrong inside the brain cells of people living with Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s affects more than 110,000 Canadians, causing tremors, stiffness, slow movements, and challenges with balance, speech, and memory. The disease gradually erodes a person’s ability to control movement and, to date, has no cure.

In a new international study recently published in Science Advances, Babu and research collaborator Dr. Ken Nakamura from the University of California, San Francisco, uncovered how a single genetic mutation can throw a cell’s internal energy system into chaos — triggering a chain reaction that resembles Parkinson’s disease.

Inside each of our cells are mitochondria — tiny structures that act as power plants, producing the energy cells need to survive. When they’re damaged or malfunctioning, especially in brain cells that control movement, the results can be devastating.

Babu’s research team developed mice carrying a rare mutation in a gene called CHCHD2. What they observed was dramatic: the mitochondria began to fail, leaking harmful molecules that stressed and damaged the surrounding cells. Over time, this stress led to the accumulation of α-synuclein, a sticky protein that forms toxic clumps in the brains of people with Parkinson’s.

Further analysis revealed that the defective protein created by the mutation was no longer interacting with its usual molecular partners inside the cell. This interference disrupted the mitochondria’s ability to generate energy, intensifying the stress and accelerating the buildup of α-synuclein.

“This work helps explain how mitochondrial damage and protein buildup — two hallmarks of Parkinson’s — may actually be connected,” says Babu, who holds the Chancellor’s Research Chair in Network Biology at the University of Regina. “It suggests that the malfunction likely starts within the mitochondria.”

The discovery opens the door to potential new therapies aimed at protecting or stabilizing mitochondria before damage spreads.

Ko Kurrie, research funding and partnerships manager with Parkinson Canada, says, “Canada punches above its weight in Parkinson’s research, and discoveries like Dr. Babu’s help unravel the underlying causes of Parkinson's, laying the groundwork for future breakthroughs that could lead to new treatments and potentially new ways to stop or slow down Parkinson's.” 

Babu agrees. “By keeping these cellular powerhouses healthy, we may one day be able to slow or even prevent the disease from progressing.”

Dr. Mohan Babu is available for interviews via phone, Zoom, or Teams.

- 30 -

Share