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In an elbow grease to discover novel discourse for Parkinson ’s disease , researchers are sending their experiments to space .
This Monday ( Aug. 14 ) , investigator will launch a keyParkinson ’s diseaseprotein , called LRRK2 , to theInternational Space Station(ISS ) . The microgravity conditions in blank space should offer a good tryout surroundings for their experiment with this protein , the researchers said .
The International Space Station as seen in a photo taken in 2010.
The materials for their experimentation will move aboard theSpaceX Dragon capsuleas part of a military mission to send supply and science experiment to the ISS .
The work is a collaboration between The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson ’s Research and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space ( CASIS ) .
LRRK2 is a type of protein that modifies other protein . Mutations in the factor that tantalise for LRRK2 are think to cause Parkinson ’s disease in some people . Researchers have suppose that developing drugs to subdue LRRK2 , or block its activity , could help prevent Parkinson ’s or slow its progression . [ 10 Celebrities with Chronic Illnesses ]
But before scientists can develop a drug to bottle up LRRK2 , they require to know the precise structure of this protein . One style to get a elaborate perspective of its structure is by maturate crystals of LRRK2 in lab smasher . However , on Earth , gravitycan intervene with the growth of these crystals , and keep them pocket-sized .
" The quality of our crystals is just not good enough [ on land ] , " Sebastian Mathea , a investigator at the University of Oxford who is involved in the LRRK2 task , said during a intelligence conference about the project Tuesday ( Aug. 8) .
This is where the ISS research come in : research worker hope that themicrogravity conditions in spacewill allow the watch glass to grow bigger with fewer defects . The scientist can then get a precipitous view of the crystal social organization .
scientist will grow the LRRK2 crystals for about a month in distance . Then , the crystal will be sent back to Earth , where they will be analyzed with high - Department of Energy X - ray , Mathea said .
Parkinson ’s disease is a reformist neurological upset that affects people ’s movement power , and can leave in symptoms such as tremor , slow down movements and muscle stiffness . There are currently no treatments to stop or reverse the progress of the disease , according to The Michael J. Fox Foundation .
Original article onLive scientific discipline .
