According to a new study, the toxins found in cat poo could actually be key to treating Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease.
For this research, scientists used an engineered form of Toxoplasma gondii, a common parasite found in cat poo, to deliver proteins to the brain in mice.
According to The Independent: “In the past, neurological healthcare has been limited by the difficulty of delivering targeted treatment across the blood-brain-barrier and into the correct location inside neurons.”
However, Toxoplasma gondii is believed to be carried in a dormant state by a third of the worldwide population and has even evolved to travel from the digestive system to the brain, where it secretes its proteins into neurons.
What does this mean for our brains?
Most neurological disorders are linked in some way to protein dysfunction, meaning that this pioneering breakthrough could lead to tackling this dysfunction in a way that hasn’t previously been possible.
The research, which was a collaboration between Tel Aviv University and the University of Glasgow, involved artificially creating a parasite and testing to see if it could “spit” proteins back into affected brain cells.
Researchers focused on engineering the parasites to deliver the MeCP2 protein, which has already been proposed as a promising therapeutic target for Rett syndrome, a debilitating neurological disorder caused by mutations in MECP2 gene.
Thankfully, the parasite successfully produced and delivered the protein to the target cell location, offering a promising future for the treatment of neurological disorders.
However, researchers urge us to not get too excited yet
Professor Lilach Sheiner, one of the leading authors of the study from the University of Glasgow’s School of Infection and Immunity, said: “The concept is not without challenges, considering the dangers involved with Toxoplasma infection.
“For our work to become a treatment reality it will require many more years of careful research and development to enhance efficiency and improve safety.”
We’re excited to see where this leads.
