Shared from parkinsonsnewstoday.com.
Hemoglobin — a protein best known for carrying oxygen in the bloodstream — has an under-recognized role in protecting brain cells from damage, researchers found.
Data from animal experiments showed that a treatment designed to boost the protective effects of hemoglobin in the brain may be an effective strategy for Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders.
“This is a major step forward in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases,” study co-author C. Justin Lee, PhD, director of the Center for Cognition and Sociality at the Institute for Basic Science in Daejeon, Korea, said in an institute news story. “By enhancing the brain’s own hemoglobin to combat oxidative stress, we are opening an entirely new therapeutic avenue.”