Researchers find link between diabetes and Parkinson's

Published on Saturday 16 June 2007 00:50

KEEPING fit and active could have a double benefit - preventing diabetes and Parkinson's disease, researchers have found.

An Edinburgh study has found that changes in the body caused by type 2 diabetes switch off a gene called PINK1.

When this gene stops working, Parkinson's can develop.

The team from Heriot-Watt University, led by James Timmons, professor of exercise biology, recommended people take regular exercise to prevent diabetes, in turn reducing their risk of Parkinson's.

The researchers compared 200 tissue samples from volunteers, many with type 2 diabetes. They discovered that the diabetes patients produced less of the substances created by the PINK1 gene, making them more at risk of Parkinson's.

The researchers said this might be because the PINK1 gene is found close to a known diabetes gene called DDOST in the human DNA.

Prof Timmons said: "Loss of PINK1 isn't the only cause of Parkinson's, but discovering this direct link between diabetes and regulation of the PINK1 gene is the first example of a molecular mechanism potentially linking the two terrible illnesses, rather than just a statistical association in population studies.

"The next step is to find exactly how loss of PINK1 actually causes the neuronal cell death, and hence [causes] Parkinson's."

The researcher said it was also useful to show that a healthy genetic make-up could be impaired over time, leading to the development of illnesses which could be avoided through better lifestyle choices.

The researchers will now focus on the process which causes PINK1 to be switched off in the hope of finding new ways to tackle both diseases.

In the meantime, the team said that healthy lifestyle choices could be the key to reducing the risk of Parkinson's.

Matt Hunt, science information manager at Diabetes UK, said the findings of the study were "intriguing".

He said: "More research into the possible link between the two conditions is needed to determine if preventing type 2 diabetes could lead to a reduction in the number of cases of Parkinson's disease.

"Although type 2 diabetes can be genetic, almost 60 per cent of cases of the condition are preventable.

"Eating a healthy balanced diet and taking regular physical activity is really important in managing and, in some cases, preventing type 2 diabetes."

Dr Kieran Breen, of the Parkinson's Disease Society, said they were cautious about the link with exercise mentioned in this research.

"The cause of Parkinson's is as yet unknown, but it is likely to be a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors," he said.