Scientists have explained how smoking inhibits the development of Parkinson's disease
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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Israeli scientists have taken one more step towards the discovery of a method for treating Parkinson's disease: they discovered a genetic mechanism associated with smoking that inhibits the development of this degenerative disease.
This study was conducted by a group of Israeli scientists from the University Hospital of Hadassah, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Beilinson Hospital and Tel Aviv University, as well as the Italian Research Institute. They studied the data of 677 patients with Parkinson's disease, 438 of whom had never smoked in their lives, and 239 had done so at present or earlier.
As a result, scientists were able to establish a link between nicotine addiction and a protective mechanism that prevents the development of the disease. It turned out that the genes CHRNB5, CHRNB4 and CHRNB3, responsible for preventing the development of the disease, become dependent on nicotine.
This discovery helped scientists understand how nicotine prevents damage to the dopamine chemical contained in the brain, which scientists believe is associated with the development of the disease.
"The combination of genes that we have identified is very important because it allows us to better understand the mechanism by which smoking reduces the likelihood of Parkinson's," the head of the scientific group, Professor Benjamin Lehrer, told Haaretz.
However, he stressed that smoking-related illnesses outweigh the benefits that have been discovered, and that scientists are looking for new treatments that do not involve dangerous habits.
The link between smoking and preventing Parkinson's disease was first established in 2001 in a report published in the medical journal Epidemiology. It turned out that people who smoke (or smoked in the past), 60% less likely to suffer from the development of a disease that affects the central nervous system than non-smokers.
Previous studies have also found other positive effects of nicotine: improving concentration and memory. In addition, cigarettes also help schizophrenics control their symptoms.
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