These days most people are aware of the fact that not all cholesterol is bad for the human body, and that in fact, what is termed “good” cholesterol is essential. Now researchers from a Swedish university have discovered that a particular derivative of the substance is key for the development of human brain cells, and their discovery may have great implications for those who are afflicted with Parkinson’s disease.

The study, led by Professor Ernest Arenas of the Karolinska Institute, focused on the brain development in mice. Researchers found that the development of dopamine producing neurons in the animals developing brains was dependent upon the activation on a certain specific brain receptor by a cholesterol derivative known as Oxysterol.

Dopamine producing nerve cells play an important role in numerous common brain functions in human beings. Fine motor skills rely upon them, as do some of the brain’s “reward systems” and dependency tendencies. They are also the kind of brain cell that is lost and not replaced as a part of the progression of Parkinson’s disease.

In the course of their research the scientists were also able to demonstrate that lab cultivated embryonic stem cells were apt to form an increased number of dopamine producing cells if they were exposed to the oxidized cholesterol. They also found that the tendency for uncontrolled growth of the stem cells was decreased by the addition of Oxysterol.

And according to Professor Arenas, that opens up a doorway for the possibility for the development of new treatments for Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease is characterized by a slowing of regular physical movement, muscle rigidity and tremors. The disease is named after a British doctor, James Parkinson, who first described the condition in an 1817 medical essay he titled “An Essay on the Shaking Palsy”. It is primarily the increasing lack of the dopamine producing brain cells studied in Professor Arenas’ research that causes the difficulties experienced by the diseases sufferers.

It is the hope of medical science that they will one day be able to begin replacing the dead dopamine producing brain cells with lab cultivated ones such as this research team used. In addition, similar cells can be used to test the efficacy of new Parkinson’s drugs as they are created.  The discoveries of this team of researchers should indeed help that come to pass.

The study was published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.