Harnessing Plant Defenses: A Promising Approach to Treating Neurodegenerative Diseases

A study published in the journal Nature Aging has found that plants possess natural defenses against neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington's. Researchers discovered that a plant protein called SPP, found in the cells responsible for photosynthesis, can reduce protein clumping and symptoms of Huntington's when introduced into human and animal cells. Unlike humans, plants have chloroplasts, which help them avoid toxic protein aggregation. The study suggests that SPP could be tested as a potential therapy for Huntington's disease, opening the door for plants to contribute to the treatment of human diseases. The researchers plan to establish a start-up to produce plant-derived therapeutic proteins for testing in humans.