Scientists from South Korea and the United Kingdom have revealed that RNA (ribonucleic acid) editing is involved in neuroinflammation that causes Parkinson's disease. RNA is the genetic material that copies the genetic information in DNA to create proteins.
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) noted on the 27th that "Professor Choi Min of the Brain and Cognitive Sciences and researchers from the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery at University College London (UCL) and the Francis Crick Institute discovered that the RNA editing enzyme, ADAR1, plays a crucial role in the pathology of Parkinson's disease."
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative brain disorder first identified by British physician James Parkinson in 1817. Symptoms of motor impairment, such as shaking of the limbs and a heavy gait, occur due to a decrease in dopamine nerve cells in the brain. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter responsible for unconscious muscle movements. Boxers Muhammad Ali and Pope John Paul II suffered from it.
The enzyme ADAR1, analyzed by the research team, regulates the process by which glial cells trigger immune responses to protect the brain and induce inflammation. Glial cells, alongside nerve cells, constitute the nervous system, assisting in the functions of nerve cells. They act like a rear support unit that supplies necessary substances to nerve cells.
The research team created glial cells from stem cells of Parkinson's disease patients, treated them with alpha (α) synuclein aggregates, and analyzed the inflammatory responses of brain immune cells. Alpha synuclein is a protein involved in the consolidation of nerve cell connections at synapses.
The study found that alpha synuclein monomers, the initial pathological form of alpha synuclein aggregates, activated glial cell immune responses. At this time, the RNA editing enzyme ADAR1 was expressed, altering the protein properties by changing the bases. Ultimately, the glial cells remained in a chronic inflammatory state, which appeared to influence the progression of Parkinson's disease. The same phenomenon was observed in patient-derived stem cells and patient brain autopsy tissues.
This research could help treat neuroinflammation that causes Parkinson's disease, as it newly confirms that RNA editing is an important mechanism for regulating immune responses. Professor Choi Min stated, "This could present a completely different approach to existing Parkinson's disease treatments," and added, "RNA editing technology will be a turning point in the development of treatments for neuroinflammation."
The results of this study were published in the international journal "Advanced Science" on the 11th.
Reference materials
Advanced Science (2025), DOI : https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adp8504