SYDNEY, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Scientists have identified a small molecule that blocks cell death, offering hope for treatments that could slow or stop the progression of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, a leading Australian medical institute said on Monday.
"Currently, there are no treatments that prevent neurons from dying to slow the progression of Parkinson's. Any drugs that could be able to do this could be game-changing," said Grant Dewson, head of the Parkinson's Disease Research Center of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI).
The breakthrough centers on a compound that inhibits BAX -- the "cell killer" protein, said a press release from the Melbourne-based WEHI.
Through high-throughput screening of over 100,000 compounds at the National Drug Discovery Center, researchers found one that effectively prevents BAX from damaging mitochondria -- the powerhouse of cells, allowing cells to survive, said the study published in Science Advances.
"This could pave the way for next-generation cell death inhibitors to combat degenerative conditions," said lead author Li Kaiming, a WEHI researcher.
Building on decades of cell death research, including advances that led to cancer treatments, WEHI, Australia's oldest medical research institute, is now aiming to develop disease-modifying drugs for neurodegenerative conditions that currently have no cure, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, the release said.
