Accumulation of alpha-synuclein within the liver, potential role in the clearance of brain pathology associated with Parkinson’s disease

In human post-mortem liver tissue, we identifed cases with neuropathologically confrmed α-syn pathology containing α-syn within hepatocellular structures to a higher degree (75%) than control subjects without α-syn accumulation in the brain (57%). Our results reveal that α-syn accumulates within the liver and may be derived from the brain or other peripheral sources. Collectively, our findings indicate that the liver may play a role in the clearance and detoxifcation of pathological proteins in PD and related synucleinopathies. CLICK TO REVIEW