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Scientists explain how smoking curbs the development of Parkinson's disease
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Israeli scientists have taken another step toward discovering a cure for Parkinson's disease: They have discovered a genetic mechanism linked to smoking that slows the progression of the degenerative disease.
The study was conducted by a team of Israeli scientists from Hadassah University Hospital, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Beilinson Hospital and Tel Aviv University, as well as an Italian research institute. They examined data from 677 patients with Parkinson's disease, 438 of whom had never smoked in their lives and 239 of whom were current or former smokers.
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 CHRNB5, CHRNB4 and CHRNB3 genes responsible for preventing the development of the disease become dependent on nicotine.
The discovery helped scientists understand how nicotine prevents damage to the brain chemical dopamine, which scientists believe is linked to the disease.
"The combination of genes we identified is very important because it allows us to better understand the mechanism by which smoking reduces the risk of Parkinson's," the head of the scientific team, Professor Benjamin Lehrer, told Haaretz.
However, he stressed that the health risks associated with smoking outweigh the benefits, and that scientists are looking for new treatments that do not involve dangerous habits.
The link between smoking and the prevention of Parkinson's disease was first established in 2001 in a report published in the medical journal Epidemiology. It found that people who smoke (or have smoked in the past) are 60% less likely to develop the disease, which affects the central nervous system, than nonsmokers.
Previous studies have found other positive effects of nicotine, such as improved concentration and memory. Cigarettes also help schizophrenics control their symptoms.
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