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Updated: Aug 1, 2026

The Use of Primary Human Fibroblasts for Monitoring Mitochondrial Phenotypes in the Field of Parkinson's Disease
Published on: October 3, 2012
Mitochondrial antigen presentation: a mechanism linking Parkinson's disease to autoimmunity
Ahmed M Fahmy1, Jonathan Boulais2, Michel Desjardins3
1Département de Pathologie et Biologie Cellulaire, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; Molecular Medicine Research Group, Department of Reproductive Medicine, Division of Medical Research, National Research Centre (NRC), Dokki, Egypt.
Abstract:
Parkinson's disease (PD) is caused by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons and afflicts millions of people world-wide. The current treatments address only the late motor symptoms, with no cure or preventive therapeutic approaches. The contribution of dysfunctional immune mechanisms in PD has been clearly established, with an emphasis on neuroinflammation and microglial cell activation. Recent studies have widened the involvement of the immune system in this disease by clearly showing the engagement of adaptive immunity and antigen presentation processes, directly regulated by PD-related proteins, raising the question whether PD is an autoimmune disease. The contribution of autoimmune mechanisms in PD opens novel avenues for the development of preventive therapeutic approaches.
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