Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2014 Feb;10(2):92-8.
doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2013.275. Epub 2014 Jan 28.

Extracellular α--synuclein-a novel and crucial factor in Lewy body diseases

He-Jin Lee  1 , Eun-Jin Bae  2 , Seung-Jae Lee  2
Affiliations
Review

Extracellular α--synuclein-a novel and crucial factor in Lewy body diseases

He-Jin Lee et al. Nat Rev Neurol. 2014 Feb.

Abstract

Misfolding and intracellular aggregation of α-synuclein are thought to be crucial factors in the pathogenesis of Lewy body diseases (LBDs), such as Parkinson disease. However, the pathogenic modifications of this protein and the mechanisms underlying its activity have not been fully characterized. Recent studies suggest that small amounts of α-synuclein are released from neuronal cells by unconventional exocytosis, and that this extracellular α-synuclein contributes to the major pathological features of LBD, such as neurodegeneration, progressive spreading of α-synuclein pathology, and neuroinflammation. In this article, we review a rapidly growing body of literature on possible mechanisms by which extracellular α-synuclein contributes to LBD pathology, and discuss therapeutic approaches to target this form of α-synuclein to halt disease progression.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Mov Disord. 2013 Jan;28(1):31-40 - PubMed
    1. J Biol Chem. 2005 Jul 1;280(26):25216-24 - PubMed
    1. EMBO J. 2013 Jun 12;32(12):1660-4 - PubMed
    1. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2008;40(9):1835-49 - PubMed
    1. Exp Mol Med. 2011 Apr 30;43(4):216-22 - PubMed

Publication types

Substances