Anti Malaria Drugs Have Parkinson's Disease Treatment Potential, Reveals Research

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Malaria is a deadly, mosquito-borne disease that has affected the lives of people worldwide. There are several antimalarial drugs available in the market, such as chloroquine and amodiaquine. Incidentally, a new study has discovered that malaria is not the only disease these two drugs can treat. They can also be considered as potential treatment for Parkinson’s Disease as well.

According to CNBC News, a team of scientists from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Harvard Medical School’s McLean Hospital have discovered the potential of chloroquine and amodiaquine in treating Parkinson’s Disease. The medical breakthrough has been announced last Thursday in Singapore.

The scientists have discovered the use of the two drugs by screening over 1000 FDA-approved drugs. They were able to bind and activate the class of proteins in the brain called Nurr1. These proteins can protect the ability of the brain to produce dopamine neurons for patients with Parkinson’s Disease. Dopamine neurons are known to affect the control and movement of muscles in the body.

International Business Times adds that the discovery is a brainchild of Professor Kwang-Soo Kim from Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital in the US and Associate Professor Yoon Ho Sup from NTU in Singapore. They have tested the experiment on rodents with Parkinson’s Disease, where they found that after Nurr1 has been activated, the subjects have shown improved muscle behavior and didn’t show any signs that they are suffering from the disease.

Professor Yoon hopes that millions of people with Parkinson’s Disease will benefit from their discovery. As the research has also proven that existing drugs can be repurposed to help treat other disorders, perhaps treatment for other diseases can be redesigned as well.

Channel News Asia also reports that the discovery of the duo and their team is the first time scientists have managed to bind a molecule to Nurr1 and activate it. This will open several doors to design better drugs for Parkinson’s Disease.

Parkinson’s Disease is a common neurodegenerative condition that affects about three out of 1000 people aged 50 years and above. Professor Kim said the current standard for treating this disease is through dopamine replenishment by means of medication or surgery to stimulate the electric currents of the brain.

The research can be seen online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.