Bring the culprit to Parkinson's disease into the universe

In an effort to find a way to treat Parkinson's disease, scientists will put LRRK2, the protein that is considered to be the cause of the disease on the International Space Station (ISS), to have the most secure laboratory environment to find The drug can cure or slow the development of the disease.

This project is part of the Michael J. Fox Foundation's partnership with the Space Science Center.

LRRK2 is a protein that changes other proteins. Mutations of LRRK2 are thought to cause Parkinson's disease.

Micro-gravity environment on ISS station is the best condition for experimenting LRRK2 crystals.(Photo: Livescience).

In order to create a drug that can inhibit LRRK2, scientists need to know its exact structure by manipulating the crystal of LRRK2 in the laboratory. However, Earth's gravity influences the development of these crystals so that they cannot grow.

"The quality of crystals on Earth is not good enough ," said Sebastian Mathea, one of the researchers at the project working at Oxford University.

Micro-gravity environment in the universe is a favorable condition for crystals to grow better and less disadvantages.

It is expected that LRRK2 crystals will be raised in space for about a month and then sent to Earth for X-ray analysis.

Parkinson 's disease is a neurological disorder that affects the mobility of people, causing symptoms such as trembling, slow movement and muscle stiffness.

According to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, there is currently no method to prevent or reverse the progression of the disease.