15/09/2026
Why are Parkinson’s researchers interested in ways to cool down💦 the immune system once it has responded to the initial ‘crisis’🔥? Read our interview with Prof. Gaëtan Garraux, whose work was recently supported by the Demoucelle Parkinson Charity, to find out!!
Prof. Gaëtan Garraux and his research team at the University of Liège are investigating whether an existing medication to regulate first-responder immunity cells could slow the progression of the disease.
“Normally, (the immune system) protects us against all kinds of threats, for example from viruses or bacteria, including through the controlled release of substances that destroy pathogens. But in Parkinson's disease, it is possible that it no longer does this appropriately. Some research even suggests that this system, which is supposed to respond in a coordinated way to the threat posed by the disease, may itself be disrupted and that, instead of protecting us, it may worsen the disease.” - Prof. Gaëtan Garraux
https://www.demoucelle.com/blog/charity-post/immune-response-parkinsons-disease-prof-gaetan-garraux/
This research project is one of seven in Belgium that received seed funding from the Demoucelle Parkinson Charity thanks to your generosity and fundraising. To find out more, please click here:
https://www.demoucelle.com/blog/charity-post/belgian-research-projects/
Parkinson's disease may be linked to a dysregulation of the immune system. Prof. Gaëtan Garraux and his team are investigating whether a drug already used to treat certain rare diseases could help regulate these cells and, ultimately, slow the progression of the disease.
