title: The degeneration and replacement of dopamine cells in Parkinson's disease: the role of aging.
abstract: Available data show marked similarities for the degeneration of dopamine cells in Parkinson's disease (PD) and aging. The etio-pathogenic agents involved are very similar in both cases, and include free radicals, different mitochondrial disturbances, alterations of the mitophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Proteins involved in PD such as α-synuclein, UCH-L1, PINK1 or DJ-1, are also involved in aging. The anomalous behavior of astrocytes, microglia and stem cells of the subventricular zone (SVZ) also changes similarly in aging brains and PD. Present data suggest that PD could be the expression of aging on a cell population with high vulnerability to aging. The future knowledge of mechanisms involved in aging could be critical for both understanding the etiology of PD and developing etiologic treatments to prevent the onset of this neurodegenerative illness and to control its progression.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurobiology and Experimental Neurology, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of La Laguna La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain ; Center for Networked Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurobiology and Experimental Neurology, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of La Laguna La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain ; Center for Networked Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.affiliation: Center for Networked Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Sabate
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurobiology and Experimental Neurology, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of La Laguna La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurobiology and Experimental Neurology, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of La Laguna La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurobiology and Experimental Neurology, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of La Laguna La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose Miguel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Brito
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Service, Department of Physical Medicine and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of La Laguna La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sabate
keywords: Parkinson’s disease; aging; dopamine; etiopathology; nigrostriatal cells