What is Parkinson's?

Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition which affects over 145,000 people in the UK. It causes problems in the brain and gets worse over time. Parkinson's has over 40 possible symptoms including issues with memory and movement.

What causes the memory and movement issues?

By the time someone is diagnosed with Parkinson’s, a significant amount of their neurotransmitters are already lost. Neurotransmitters are the body’s chemical messengers. They play an essential communication role and their loss leads to problems such as memory loss and muscle spasms or stiffness.

How can nicotine help?

Nicotine has been shown to mimic the role of acetylcholine. It bridges the gap so that information from nerve cells can travel.

However, nicotine has many major health risks. So, we want to develop a safe alternative.

Using previous research, Dr Shoaib and Dr Iravani have worked together to design new compounds which mimic the role of nicotine. This will be targeted specifically at people with Parkinson's. They now need your support to test out which compounds will have a powerful impact on restoring memory loss and muscle function safely.