Scientists just found the protein that spreads Parkinson’s — and we have a drug that blocks it

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Scientists just found the protein that spreads Parkinson’s — and we have a drug that blocks it.

In a new paper, scientists outline how they identified a crucial protein interaction that facilitates the spread of toxic proteins responsible for Parkinson’s disease.

And best of all? They found that an existing cancer drug can block it.

Researchers uncovered how two proteins, Aplp1 and Lag3, work together on brain cell surfaces to propagate harmful clumps of alpha-synuclein, a hallmark of Parkinson’s.

Using the FDA-approved immunotherapy drug nivolumab/relatlimab, which targets Lag3, researchers were able to disrupt this process in mice, reducing the spread of these toxic proteins by up to 90%.

This breakthrough paves the way for repurposing existing cancer drugs as potential treatments for Parkinson’s and possibly other neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s.

With Parkinson’s affecting more than 8.5 million people globally and no current cure, the ability to halt or slow disease progression with an already-approved drug could revolutionize patient care.

The findings signal a new direction in the fight against neurodegeneration—targeting the mechanisms of disease spread rather than just managing symptoms.