Neurodegenerative diseases: recycling mechanisms open up new avenues for therapy

Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases are the most widespread forms of neurodegeneration in humans. Each year, 225,000 new cases of Alzheimer's disease are diagnosed in France, amounting to a total number of 900,000 patients in the country. This figure is expected to reach 2.1 million in 2040, representing a significant burden for public healthcare systems. So far, no efficient treatment options exist for such diseases.  Drugs that cure neurodegenerative disorders or slow down their progression  are thus urgently needed. A team from the Institut Pasteur recently identified a mechanism that counteracts neurodegeneration by degrading toxic cellular waste that otherwise accumulate in brains of patients. Their discovery provides new strategies to treat neurodegenerative diseases.

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