Pathogenic alpha-synuclein aggregates preferentially bind to mitochondria and affect cellular respiration.
Wang X, Becker K, Levine N, Zhang M, Lieberman AP, Moore DJ, Ma J.
Acta Neuropathol Commun. 2019 Mar 14;7(1):41. doi: 10.1186/s40478-019-0696-4.
PMID: 30871620.
Dopamine producing cells are very energy- and mitochondria- intensive. This would explain why an alpha-synuclein malfunction would preferentially affect such cells.
Is the alpha-synuclein theory true? There is a bleak future of cure if it turns out to be false 
Alpha Synuclein: the problem or the byproduct? If the neurons are dead then why is it possible to improve? Revival? 
squalamine which has been shown to remove alpha synuclein from the gut and is now in clinical trials for the certain symptoms associated wit
Urolithin-A - has anyone looked into this to trigger mitophagy (and thereby generate new mitochondria)?
