Professor Miodrag Micic co-authors study exploring how Parkinson’s disease may begin
Cerritos College Engineering Technology Professor Miodrag “Mickey” Micic, along with
collaborators from the University of Miami and Middle Tennessee State University,
co-authored a study published in the journal Biophysical Chemistry. The research focuses
on the early stages of Parkinson's disease, specifically how a protein called α-synuclein
clumps together to form harmful structures known as Lewy bodies.
To explore this, the team created a model that simulates the natural environments in our bodies. They found that the protein starts in a spiral shape, which then changes into forms that can create long, tangled structures called amyloid fibrils. These tangled proteins can lead to problems in the brain. This study could help shed light on neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and open up possibilities for new treatments to prevent or reduce the buildup of these proteins. Link to the article