Pathological α-synuclein (α-syn) in Parkinson disease (PD) can originate from the kidney, according to new research published in Nature Neuroscience. The results could explain the elevated risk of PD in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

“The project was inspired by our unexpected observation that α-syn is deposited in the kidneys of people with PD”, explains lead author Zhentao Zhang. “This finding is in agreement with recent evidence that α-syn pathology in PD may originate from peripheral organs”.