An amyloid link between Parkinson's disease and melanoma

[Abdiqani]

A new study underscores inter-relationships b/w a number of disorders including PD with a type of cancer " for nearly 50 years, doctors have recognized that Parkinson's disease patients are more likely to develop melanoma than the general population. Now, scientists report a molecular link between the two diseases in the form of protein aggregates known as amyloids. While intense research has focused on the effects of α-synuclein in the brain, much less is known about its presence or activities in other tissues. However, scientists have evidence that the amyloid-forming protein is expressed more in melanoma cells than in healthy skin. Furthermore, higher levels of α-synuclein in melanocytes (the skin cells that give rise to melanoma) correlate with reduced pigment, or melanin, production. Melanin protects skin from damage by the sun's ultraviolet rays. " Study Excerpt .

This draws to pay attention to other related conditions with the same causal mechanism .

More Info :

medicalxpress.com/news/2021...

[SonarsMom]

Yep. Dx with PD for about five years now. See my dermatologist quarterly for complete body scan and not a quarter goes by without having to remove 1-3 melanomas or pre-melanomas.

[kevowpd in reply to SonarsMom]

Wow. That's basically a hobby!

[SonarsMom in reply to kevowpd]

Yeah...what's not so funny is that swimming is one of my key forms of exercise (along with Rock Steady Boxing). Every time I have a melanoma removed it keeps me out of the water for 2-3 weeks. So it's a double whammy!

[Gioc]

HI Abdiqani, very interesting. I note two studies that correlate chronic niacin deficiency and melanoma and parkinson's. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/330...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/477...

cell.com/cell-reports/fullt...