London: Scientists from Dundee University have suggested that C. elegans worm might prove to be an effective research model for studying why some people develop Parkinson`s Disease.
Worms share 50 percent of their genes with humans, including those involved with inherited Parkinson`s.
The team will study why the condition causes patient`s brain cells to die.
"Research leading to an eventual cure for Parkinson`s disease is a daunting task and requires a very broad and multidisciplinary approach,” BBC News quoted lead researcher Dr Anton Gartner.
Several genes, including one known as LRRK2, have been linked to the hereditary form of Parkinson`s Disease.
Dr Gartner`s team will study how changes or mutations in this gene lead to the development of Parkinson`s - and how drugs could stop the damage that these mutations cause to nerve cells.
"It`s fascinating that such a simple animal as a worm can be an excellent model for Parkinson`s researchers to study what happens in specific nerve cells,” said Dr Kieran Breen, from the Parkinson`s Disease Society, which funded the study.
ANI
